Toujours Pur, ou Quelquefois Toute Facon
by apinchofpixiedust
Summary: No one was born evil. Everyone has loved at least once in their lives. A look at the early life of the notorious Bellatrix Black. Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It wasn't even six o'clock yet. The sun wasn't up and neither were her parents. She and the housemaids were the only ones awake, but she had woken up even before them. She just couldn't help it; she couldn't go back to sleep. She was far too excited. Looking in the mirror and pushing her long, thick, black hair out of her eyes, Bellatrix Black realized that this would be the last morning she woke up as a non-Hogwarts student. The thought made her and her reflection smile identical, huge, bright smiles.

Although she had just woken up, her reflection was exceptionally more then pleasing. Even at age eleven her pale skin, dark hair and eyes, and dark red, bee-stung lips drew attention to her beautiful, elegant self. Modest people are beautiful although they do not realize it; such was not the case for Bellatrix. She knew she was sinfully gorgeous, and it did not take her long to realize that she could use her looks to her full advantage. Even before she turned eleven, she had the world wrapped around her long, pure-blood finger. Everyone all but bowed and bended to young Bellatrix Black, everyone but her hard, cold, distant mother.

Bella had woken up at five thirty that morning to the faint sound of a coughing child. Her youngest sister, Narcissa, had a rather nasty bout of the flu. Bella was the eldest of three, and she received all the perks that came along with first-born status. She was spoiled rotten, and because she was the oldest, she was also more respected by adults. But what she hated about being the oldest was that she, of course, had sisters. What irritated her about her sisters was the fact that she would only have two years at school without being tagged along by Andi or Cissy. She didn't deal well with blood-relatives in her entourage.

It wasn't that she didn't like her sisters; she really did love them. Her sisters were her best friends. She especially loved Andromeda. Andi was the yen to her yang, the cheese in her macaroni, the peridot in her birthstone necklace, the birthstone earrings that matched the necklace. Where Bella was strong, bold, and outgoing, Andi was shy, meek, and introvert. Bella lived her life center stage in the spotlight. Andi preferred staying behind the scenes. As different as the two sisters were, they were never parted, not for a moment. But Cissy was just to prim for their taste, too prim, in their opinion, even for her own good. Her ambition, so it seemed, appeared to one day become a porcelain doll, and she was doing quite well for a seven-year-old. Although the older sisters tried again and again to include the small child, Narcissa refused time after time to, "partake in such childish antics." Therefore, rather than play with Narcissa, Andi and Bella played childhood games with their favorite cousin, Sirius. It worked out perfectly, too. Bella was a year older than Sirius who was a year older than Andi… and Cissy, well, Cissy just sat with Mum and Auntie Walburga and daintily sipped on chamomile tea.

Bellatrix sighed. She was bored, so she began to experiment with different hair styles for the train ride. Her mother always told her how important a fantastic first impression is, meaning, obviously, looks. After about five minutes of manually messing with her hair, Bella looked longingly at the wand on her dresser: walnut and dragon heartstring, twelve and three-quarters inches.

She dreamed of one day becoming the most powerful witch in history. People would bow and bend to her, but not like they did now. No, they would bow out of fear, out of respect. They would bow to her power and her to her beauty, not only the later as they did now. Her name would make people shudder. She smiled at these thoughts. She would have power. She would have complete control. But right now, she couldn't even use her wand to fix her hair. The smile vanished. Six more years, six long, tedious years until she could use magic outside of school. That was more than half a decade. That was almost as long as Cissy had been alive! But Bella was getting ahead of herself; she hadn't even begun her magical career yet, so even if she could use magic, she didn't know any spells. Being eleven was frustrating.

After playing with her hair for at least half an hour, Bellatrix decided, as usual, to brush it and let it down. Bella loved her hair like this. She loved to let it tumble in gorgeous waves half way down her back. She thought it made her look mysterious, beautiful, powerful, and strong all at the same time. Her mother greatly disapproved of this, however.

"A young lady's hair should be kept neatly and sophisticatedly out of her face. She should look mature and proper, not like some heathen child or prostitute!"

All this just for wearing her hair down? Bella thought this was a little extreme. Although she hadn't the slightest idea what a prostitute was, she could tell by her mother's tone that it was something bad, something Bella should never be associated with. She merely bit her lip and closed her eyes – her usual response to times when she wanted nothing more than to violently kick her mother.

Bella then put on her Muggle clothes for the train ride, repacked and re-repacked her school trunk, and, finally, around nine thirty, she heard her mother knock on her door.

Inside, Bella was squealing with delight, but quickly calmed herself. _Toujours_ _pur_ means never let your mother see you happy. Well, not really, but it might as well.

She sat on the edge of her bed and called softly, "Come in."

Her mother entered, unsmiling, as always, and Bella stood out of rehearsed respect. "Quite ready?" asked her mother, Druella.

"Yes, Mother, my things are packed, and my –"

"Good," Druella interrupted, "I'll send some house elves to carry your things downstairs."

Bella nodded. Druella left. Suddenly, Andi rushed in and threw herself at her older sister causing them both to fall onto Bella's bed. Andi's face was red and tearstained.

"Do you have to go?" Andi asked.

"Yes."

"Can't I go with you?"

Bella hugged her sister, "You're coming in two years, remember?" That didn't help. "Andi, look on the bright side of things. I'll be home for Christmas, and that's not too far away."

Bella stood up and tightly hugged her little sister. "I'll write you every week."

"Do you promise?" sobbed Andi.

"I promise."

Andi nodded, but continued to cry softly onto Bellatrix's shoulder. There was a knock and a soft cough at the door. Bellatrix released her sister, walked over to her door, and opened it.

"Please pardon Linky, Miss Bellatrix and Miss Andromeda," said one of the Black's many house elves, "but Madame Druella instructed Linky, Reva, and Bobbin to carry Miss Bellatrix's belongings into the main hall."

Bella stood aside and allowed the elves to pass. Bella and Andi had to harden their hearts as well as they could to prevent felling compassionate toward the poor elves. Bella almost felt bad for them at the sight of the three tiny elves sagging under the weight of her immense trunks. But if there was one think her parents had taught her it was to, whenever in doubt, let go of all emotion. "Felling nothing at all is better than feeling too much," her mother often said.

Several minutes later, Linky the house elf came panting back into Bella's room. Bellatrix felt especially bad that there were anti-Apparation charms around and in the Black's enormous mansion. The poor elves had to take the stairs everywhere, even if they carried large baggage.

"Miss Bellatrix," panted Linky, "Madame Druella would like Linky to tell you and Miss Andromeda that it is time to take Miss Bellatrix to the King's Cross Station."

"Thank you, Linky," replied Bellatrix, and the elf hobbled away.

Andi looked sadly up at her older sister. "I guess it's time to go."

"Yeah, I guess it is," Bella answered.

Although not an hour ago she was overjoyed about the concept of leaving home and going to Hogwarts, Bella was not so sure she was ready to leave just yet. Sure her bags were packed and all her supplies and robes had been purchased weeks ago, but she hadn't eaten breakfast, she hadn't seen her father, she hadn't even said "Good morning" to Cissy yet.

Leaving home was far from easy.

* * *

Upon arriving at Platform 9 ¾, Bellatrix felt her excitement crash over her like a tidal wave. Of course, some of this could be due to that fact that she had just sprinted through a seemingly solid brick wall and was now surrounded by fellow Hogwarts students. Her mother and father were had just walked over to Mr. and Mrs. Slewin, old friends of theirs, and Cissy's governess, Joanna, was holding Narcissa gently. Cissy was still ill, but she insisted on seeing Bella off. Two of the housemaids had also accompanied the family and were currently placing Bella's belongings on the train.

A large clock above them rang rather loudly. It was ten forty-five; Bella only had a few minutes left with her sisters. She turned to Narcissa whom she had seen least this morning.

"Goodbye, Cissy. I'll miss you, little girl," she said, hugging the ill seven-year-old.

A tear rolled down both of the child's cheeks. "Bye-bye, Bella, you'll write to me won't you?" Her big, blue eyes widened as two more tears fell from her eyes. Even when her sister was about to leave for almost three months, she continued to look like a delicate doll.

"Of course I will."

Narcissa smiled and coughed again. Joanna felt her forehead.

"Oh, dear," she mussed, "she's feeling warm again. I have to take her back home; she needs her medicine." Joanna turned to Bellatrix. "Goodbye, dearie, we'll all miss you. I'm sorry Narcissa couldn't stay to see you leave." And with that she gave Bella a tight, warm, one-armed hug.

"Take good care of little Cissy," called Bella. Joanna smiled, nodded and Apparated. Bellatrix wouldn't see her again until Christmas.

Bellatrix turned to say a final farewell to her sister, but someone caught her eye. She looked at him more closely and soon discovered that this person was also in her year. This person was a boy, a tall, hark haired, dark eyed, pale skinned boy. He seemed to be in the same situation she was. He was excited, nervous, anxious but he did not want to show it. For just a second, their eyes met. Bellatrix gave him a small smile and wave which he did not return. 'Do you know who I _am_?' she thought almost angrily. She was Bellatrix Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Toujours Pur, ring a bell? She could smile and wave at any one of these bystanders and they would practically faint. She was a _Black_. She was a _Pureblood_. She was practically a _celebrity_. The only people who didn't know who she was were Mudbloods and a few Halfbloods, and she didn't associate with them anyway. Obviously this boy was not worth her time. But all the same, she thought childishly, he's so pretty…

"Bella?" Andi woke Bellatrix from her thoughts. "Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yes, I'm fine," she said finally looking away from the boy. The clock rang again: five minutes.

"Well," said Andi.

Bellarix nodded. They both had to stop themselves from crying. If they cried in public, their parents would punish them severely. With a final hug and a vague, curt "goodbye" from her parents, Bellatrix boarded the train.

She waved to her sister until she was far from her sight and immediately sought after a compartment. 'Please,' she thought, 'this will take, what, eight seconds?' Bellatrix knew, being herself and all, that very soon someone would eagerly ask her to join their compartment.

And she was right. Quickly, she found a compartment with five other girls already inside; she recognized them from her parents' various dinners and other social gatherings. She was extremely careful with her choosing, however. She knew she had to sit with girls (so she would not be thought of as one of those tramps who go around chasing boys) who were a year or two older than Bella (as to acquaint herself with more powerful people) who were Purebloods (obviously) and who were not quite as pretty as she. She had to look like she was the most beautiful out of a more powerful, same-sex, Pureblood group of people. If they were in Slytheryn, it was even better. Ravenclaws were also acceptable. Griffindors and Hufflepuffs were an absolute "No!" Her mother taught her well.

Bellatrix soon found herself sitting with Violet Parkinson (second-year Slytheryn), Roselle Slewin (third year Slytheryn), Becky Crouch (third-year Ravenclaw), Mabel Rosier (third-year Ravenclaw), and Cynthia Avery (second-year Slytheryn); it was a perfect mix. More Slytheryns than Ravenclaws and more third-years than second-years, and all girls were quite pretty, but they weren't Bellatrix Black pretty. Everything was going just as she had planned… and then they began talking.

During the train ride, Bellatrix hoped beyond hope that she would never grow up to be a typical teenage girl. Well, that is, if these girls were called "typical." All they talked about were boys, make up, boys, love potions, boys, magazines, boys, designer dress robes, and BOYS! Not to mention that there were always loud, high pitched squeals whenever boys were mentioned. Bella felt almost inferior – almost! She didn't want to talk about boys; she wanted to talk about school. She had nothing to add to the make up conversation because she didn't wear any. And she loved designer dress robes as much as the next girl, but as soon as designer names came up there was a loud squeal and then –

"Oh my gosh! Did you see him flirting with Jamie!"

"I know!"

Finally Bella couldn't take it anymore. "Not that this isn't fascinating, but don't you ever talk about something other than guys? I mean really!"

Roselle smiled, "Remember that, girls?" she said to the rest of the group.

"Trust me, Bellatrix," began Cynthia, "before this year is over, your entire view on the subject is going to change."

"That's likely," retorted Bellatrix sarcastically.

"You say that now," sang-sung Becky.

"Yes, I do, because my view is not about to change."

"Oh, little Miss Independent, aren't we?" taunted Mabel.

"Yes, I am. Believe me, I am the last girl on earth who is ever going to let her entire life and being revolve one guy."

Violet high-fived her, "That's what I'm talking about."

Bellatrix sighed, although a saying they were a little boy crazy was quite an understatement, she liked her new friends. Well, maybe she didn't like them, but she thought they made nice footstools, which, she supposed, didn't really make them "friends," either. Of course, she would be polite to them, maybe even nice to them, she would buy them Christmas gifts, invite them to her family's large gatherings, and in return, she would always have the social protection of knowing the "big kids."

Just then, the boy from the train station walked by Bella's compartment. Bella's eyes followed him for a moment, but only a moment. After their last conversation, Bellatrix knew that she could not risk being caught looking at a passing guy. When she looked at him, though, Bella knew she saw him look back. It was hard to look away.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Violet looking at her watch. "We'll be there in about twenty minutes, we have to get changed."

Bellatrix was waiting for this. She knew she was easily the richest and (soon to be) most influential girl at Hogwarts. Therefore, she had the best robes in school. She pulled them over her head and the girls all awed. 'That's right,' thought Bellatrix, 'be jealous.'

"Where'd you get those?" asked Mabel, her soft voice full of longing.

Bellatrix smirked. "The silver and emerald were custom tailored for me in Milan by the world-famous designer herself, Cinnamon Charpay."

"No WAY!"

"Way," she smirked. "And these, the black, silver and emerald, were also designed for me in Paris by Scarlet Rose."

"You're so lucky?"

"How much were they?"

"But she hasn't done personal designs in over a decade?"

"You went to Milan AND Paris?!"

And as the train station came into view, Bellatrix knew that this year was going to be simply wonderful. Finally, everything was going according to plan.


	2. Chapter 2

The only downside to sitting with "upper-classmen" was that they traveled to the school by different means than the first years. Second-years and older took some sort of carriage, and first-years took small boats. A rather short man, Professor Kerner, called, "First years, over here, please!" They were led into boats which were meant to seat four students.

The entire ride to the castle went by in a blur. She only remembered getting into a cold, wooden boat and arriving at a castle at least five times larger than her mansion (which was really saying something). Two giant oak doors opened before their eyes, and a stern-looking, bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun led them into an enormous hallway. They were told to wait. And wait. And wait.

The majority of the first years were shaking, whispering nervously about what horrors awaited them for their Sorting. _Idiots_, thought Bella. She knew there was nothing to be afraid of. All you had to do was stand in line and put on a hat that was older than dirt. Her parents told her so. Bella instantly knew that all the pure-bloods would know what was going on. They wouldn't be shaking like leaves talking about wrestling a troll. _Wow_, she realized, _there aren't very many pure-bloods, are there? That's depressing. Oh well, why not add fuel to the fire?_ She walked up next to a group of shaking students and whispered, "Wrestle a troll? Only if you're really lucky. Most have to go outside and try to take an egg from a Hungarian Horntail!" That worked them up. Bella smirked.

She looked over and saw the dark-haired boy from King's Cross. He wasn't shaking like the others. He wasn't huddled in a mass like the others. He just stood there, looking bored. This interested Bella; she walked over to him.

"Well, what makes you so special?" she asked with a look of superiority on her face.

He gave her a quizzical look, but even though he looked confused, he had a dominating air about him. "What do you mean?"

"The rest of these idiots look like a Dementor just came by, all shaking and murmuring, and here you are, perfectly calm."

"As are you," he shrugged.

"That's because I'm better than them."

"And why is that?"

Bella gave him an isn't-that-obvious-you-little-twit look. "Because _I_ am Bellatrix Black. _I_ am a pure-blood. Therefore, I am better."

He nodded.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

She gave him the isn't-that-obvious-you-little-twit look again. "What's your blood status?"

"Oh," he looked taken aback, and for less than a second, panic flashed over him. "I'm a pure-blood." He stood up straighter; the dominance was back.

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "What's your surname?" she demanded.

He cocked an eyebrow back. "Riddle."

Bella gave him one of her signature slow, evil smiles. "You filthy liar."

"Excuse me?" he demanded.

"There is no pure-blood Riddle line. I would know. You're lying, lying about blood. That's almost as bad as being a Mudblood. At least have the decency to admit that you're –"

"I am _not_ lying," he spat. "My parents were pure-bloods, but when I was still young they died. I was adopted by another family and I took on their name, Riddle."

Bella was not convinced. "How'd they die?"

"There was a horrible accident in Diagon Ally. I don't like to talk about it."

"Fair enough; what were their names?"

The boy opened his mouth, but just then another enormous set of wooden doors opened and the bespectacled witch came back and led the first years into the grand dining hall to be Sorted. They were to line up in two straight lines. Bella stood by the boy with whom she had been speaking.

Upon closer examination, she noticed several things about him. First of all, he could have been her twin. They were both unusually pale, in a beautiful, dignified way; they both had thick, black hair and bright, pale blue-gray eyes; and they both were unsmiling in a dominating fashion. Unlike Bella, who was well groomed, well and expensively dressed and all but sneezed Galleons, this boy was also spotless, but he was shabby in his second-hand robes. _Gross_, she thought.

The lines stopped at the front of the hall, and the witch brought forth a three-legged stool and a shabby hat. The hat sang a rather obnoxious song, and the Sorting began. The witch drew forth a scroll and began calling names.

"Abbott, Jonathan," called the witch.

Jonathan sat down, and the hat was placed upon his head.

"Hufflepuff!" it exclaimed. The table to the far left cheered.

Bella was grateful that her name came early in the alphabet. She didn't want to stand here much longer.

"Acchiardo, Lisa."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Acker, Kurk."

"Slytheryn!"

Finally, thought Bella. She had noticed something about that hat. Jonathan was Sorted almost automatically, but Lisa took a good three-and-a-half seconds. How long would she take? What if, God forbid, she _didn't_ get into Slytheryn?! _Don't think that, Bella_, she thought. _Of course you'll be in Slytheryn. Where else could you possibly go?_

"Akram, Noshaba."

"Ravenclaw!"

_How many A's are there?!_

Finally, "Baker, Caleb" was called. Then "Barnett, Daniel," and "Beavin, Sara-Lee," and "Bell, Zachary," and "Belle, Kaitlyn," and then, finally –

"Black, Bellatrix."

Bella strutted up to the stool, and the hat was placed on her head. Wow, she thought, I better not get lice from this filthy old thing.

There was a small chuckle, "Don't worry about that, Miss Black."

"Hat, please don't talk to me. Just pop me into Slytheryn and we can all go about our business."

"Impatient, aren't we?"

"Yes, _we_ are."

"Miss Bellatrix Black, I suppose you expected to just be, as you say, 'popped' into Slytheryn like the rest of you family, eh? Well, I have something to tell you, Bellatrix."

"Can we wrap this up?"

"Yes we can, Bellatrix, but I want you to listen to me. If I place you in Slytheryn, your entire life will be changed. Now, don't interrupt me. Yes, I know that is the purpose of Sorting, but let me explain. If I place you in Slytheryn right now, you will not grow up to be the woman you want to be. You will be completely controlled by another. You will be all but a slave. And you have already met your enslaver. The worst part is you will help this person reach power. I don't think you entirely understand. Innocent lives will be taken. Families will be torn apart. If I place you in Slytheryn, there will be not one, but two enormous wars. Bellatrix, make the right choice. You may think that your family will not love you anymore if you are not Sorted into the traditional House, but you will always have your sisters. No matter what, Andromeda and Narcissa will always be there for you. Bella, make the right choice. Do the right thing. Forget your pride. Forget your blood. Forget your family. Make the right choice."

"I only have one question."

"And I have an answer."

"I've been talking to you for a long time now, how long was it really?"

The Hat chuckled. "My dear, it will seem as if you have just put me on to all those watching. Time goes by much slower, if you will, during sorting."

Bella sat for a moment. Death. Power. War. These words ran through her head like lightning bolts.

"Okay," she said to the Hat.

"Okay," it answered. Then with a great bellow of "Slytheryn!" Bella ran to her table with a grand, sparkling smile on her face.

After all, what did that old Hat know, anyway?

* * *

Bella set her chin in her hand and sighed. Sorting was a rather dull affair. She clapped politely when someone else was Sorted into Slytheryn, but other than that she had nothing to do. They were midway through the N's, and three other girls had been placed in Slytheryn. Being the first first-year girl as the table, the others had flocked around Bella. This irritated her as she was sitting with the upper-classmen from the train and didn't want these other girls to become better acquainted than she. Bella soon found out, however, that she had nothing to worry about. The older girls continued to take her under their wing, and, even though the Sorting wasn't even over, Bella had become the leader of the first-year girls. _Perfect_.

Fortunately, there were not many O's to be Sorted. There were even fewer P's and Q's, but, as luck would have it, there was a list of R's: "Raleigh, Daniel"; "Raven, Audra"; "Rayner, Xavier"; "Reed, Becky"; "Reese, Jamie;" "Reine, Clay." Bellatrix was about to completely loose her sanity. Starving and tired, she did not want to sit around and watch a group of nobodies get sorted into their petty Houses.

Then, another name was called. "Riddle, Tom." For some reason, Bella looked up at this one. She noticed it was the boy from the train, and he looked… angry. Why, she wondered. All they did was read his name, what's so bad about that? Just before the Hat was placed on his dark-haired head, their eyes met. His face was expressionless. Bella gave him a half-smile as the Hat sank over his eyes. Not a second had passed before it shouted, "Slytheryn!" and the boy began to walk toward the table. Bellatrix vaguely wondered if the Hat had talked to the boy—Tom—as it did for her.

Tom walked to the Slytheryn table, and Bella gave him a tiny sit-by-me nod. He saw and began to walk toward her. He sat down. Bella was then tightly squeezed between Tom and Roselle from the train. On the other side of Tom was a tall, blonde third year. Bella took one look at the blonde boy and hated him, the obnoxious jerk.

She turned to Tom, "Hey," she whispered.

He gave her a small smile. "Hey."

"Good job."

"On what?"

"Getting in Slytheryn, duh."

"Oh, yeah, thanks."

"You know, I wasn't so sure I believed you back there when you told me about your parents and stuff."

"Do you now?"

"No, now I know you were lying. See, before I just thought you were; now I'm sure."

That seemed to anger him. He was apparently used to people believing all his lies. "And why might that be?"

She gave him a slow, sly smile. "Because, Tom Riddle, you were Sorted into Slytheryn. We are ambitious, powerful, beautiful, and, above all, liars."

"Are you calling me a liar?" he demanded.

"I am," she answered calmly.

"Well, Bellatrix Black, if Slytheryns are what you said they are what does that make you?"

"That makes me an ambitious, powerful, beautiful liar. I'm no better than you, nor are you any better than me, Tom Riddle."

"Please don't call me that."

"But it's your name."

"What difference does it make?"

"Fair enough," she decided, "but what shall I call you?"

"You seem clever enough; you'll come up with something."

For a moment they just looked at each other and then, they smiled an understanding smile of mutual respect. Bella extended her arm as much as she could.

"Bellatrix Black," she said, formally introducing herself.

"Pleased to meet you," he answered, taking her hand.

With that, "Zuber, Zachary," became a Ravenclaw and the Sorting, at last, was over. Professor Dippet, the Headmaster, stood to say a few words.

"I wish to welcome all first-year students, and to welcome back all others to yet another promising year at Hogwarts. I am quite sure that you, as well as I, are quite famished from such a long day, and do not desire your aging Headmaster to ramble on while your stomachs rumble. Dig in!"

The plates instantly filled with food.

Tom gave her a sideways glance. "Thank God, I thought he was going to give a speech."

"So did I," Bella giggled as she reached for the fruit salad.

Before the meal was over, Bellatrix learned the names of the other first-year girls (Haley Mills, Emmy Schwitz, Amber Curtis, and Ivy Foster), that Tom was a red-meat vegetarian just as she was, that Roselle had a fancy for the blonde boy next to Tom, that the red-head boy next to the blonde apparently had a fancy for Roselle, and that the blonde boy was the worst person to ever walk the face of the earth. She was also very happy to learn that two of the first-years—Emmy and Ivy—were pure-bloods. Bella was disappointed; she really hoped that all four of them were. However, there were no Muggle-borns (thank goodness, she thought), and Haley's mother had died in childbirth, and, since she didn't talk to her father about her, didn't know for sure if her mother was a pure-blood even though her father was. Bella was willing to giver Haley the benefit at the doubt, so that made four out of five of them pure-bloods. Not bad, thought Bella, not bad at all. And it didn't really bother her that Amber was a half-blood. Half-bloods didn't bother her; Muggle-borns did.

After the meal there was a large selection of puddings, cakes, tarts, and candies. Once every student had their fill – the Hufflepuffs seemed to take a surprisingly long time– Professor Dippet stood again to give his beginning-of-the-year speech.

"My dear students, I am well aware that you all have classes tomorrow morning, and I do not wish to keep you from your beds much longer."

"Oh geez," sighed Tom, and he leaned back, as if to sleep.

Bella saw him and quietly laughed.

"What?" He gave her a quizzical look.

She laughed again, "Just you, what you said, I don't know, it was kind of funny."

He smiled, and Bella could tell this was a rare occurrence.

Professor Dippet kept talking.

"Secondly, Mr. Pilfer, our caretaker, would like me to remind you that Flaming Frisbees and Dragon Discs, among others, are prohibited in corridors, common rooms, classrooms and the Great Hall. He would also like for me to say that there is a list of banned items on his office door. Madame Prunella reminds all students to come to her office before the week is out for some of her flu antidote. Naturally you would be devastated if you were to miss a day of class because of your ill health. All first years should be aware that the forest surrounding the grounds is strictly forbidden, thus its name, the Forbidden Forest. I believe that is all for this evening. Off you go, then."

There was a loud scraping of benches as the students all rose to go to their common rooms.

"First years," one of the Slytheryn prefects called, "this way."

They were led out of the Great Hall, down several stairways, through portraits, and down into a separate section of the dungeons. At the password "Salazar" a wooden door opened and they entered the common room. Clearly they were under the lake because the ceiling above them was green and glowing, and fish and other under-water life could be seen. The ceiling _was_ the lake. _Wow_, thought Bella, _that's amazing!_ But she was careful not to let her amazedness show. First-years were told the boys' dormitories were down the right staircase and the girls' were to the left.

Upon entering the dormitory marked "First-years," Bella and the others were thrilled to see all their belongings right by their beds. Bella's bed was in the middle. This pleased her.

They could have stayed up all night talking about silly, girlish first-year things and gossiping, but they did not have the chance. As soon as the girls had changed into their nightgowns and lay down, they immediately fell asleep, but Bellatrix was the last. As she closed her eyes, she thought that she would make this school worthwhile. _I'll put this place on the map_, she thought, _and I will be powerful_. Smiling and with that thought in her head, she fell asleep for the first time as Hogwarts student.


	3. Chapter 3

The window above her head was open, and a breeze gently moved her hair. Her eyes were wide open although it was only around four in the morning. She always had a habit of always waking up early, very early. It was hereditary. The gentle wind brought the thick smell of rain into the room, but Bella didn't mind. She loved the smell of rain.

She vaguely wondered how she could smell rain and feel a breeze while under a lake, but remembered she was at Hogwarts, and didn't question it any further.

She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Bella hated being to only one awake. She knew there was no hope in getting back to sleep. Having nothing else to do, she stood up, got dressed, brushed her hair and teeth, and went to the common room where she could be alone.

But someone was already down there, a dark-haired, tall, pale somebody.

"Tom?" her voice sounded surprisingly loud in the silence of the room.

He didn't even look up. "Hello, Bellatrix."

"What on earth are you doing up this early?" she asked, jokingly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Bella sighed. "Je rigole. Je rigole. It's French," she responded to the look on his face. It means 'I'm joking.'"

"I don't know any French."

"I can teach you."

"It's a waste of time."

"Well," she took the seat on the couch beside him, "only if you want to look at it that way."

"And I do."

She smiled at him, "No you don't," she responded. "You only say that because you don't understand. You think that if you don't understand something, then it's not important."

"Did you take French and psychology?" he asked sarcastically.

Bella tilted her head to one side, like a curious child. "What's psychology?"

"It's a… it's like a Muggle science sort of thing," he answered vaguely. "Someone tries to study your mind basically."

"Oh, you mean like Occlumency or something?"

"Um, yeah, sure," Tom nodded and began to go back to his book.

"How do you know that?" she asked after a minute or two of silence.

"How do I know _what_?" he irritably responded.

"How do you know what psychology is? I mean, if it's just some weird Muggle thing."

"I read."

"That doesn't _exactly_ answer my question."

"I wasn't _exactly_ supposed to."

Bella gave him a curious look. "Are you hiding something?"

Tom merely shrugged. "Everyone has something to hide," he said simply, "whether they know it or not."

"So what is it? What's your big secret?"

"When you answer that, so will I."

"Excuse me?" she demanded.

Tom snapped his book shut.

"Behind those over-priced clothes and supposedly innocent brown eyes, you have something to hide. You know you've done something horrible in your life, just like everyone else in the world. You want to act like you haven't, but you have," he paused. "You think you're so special, but the thing is, you're not. You're just one of the lucky ones who can afford to look like they matter in the world, but you don't."

Bella gritted her teeth. "You must think you're really something."

He shrugged again.

"I feel sorry for you."

"And why's that?"

"You're going to be eaten alive, Tom. Know why? Because there are people out there, people like me, who don't think they're all that and an extra Galleon; we _know_ we are. And poor little you, well, you just have no chance."

"Care to elaborate?" Bella could tell he was getting angry. It made her smile.

"You can't even stand your own name."

"So?"

"So how can you reach the top if you can't stand your own name… especially if you're a Mudblood."

Bella could tell that she had touched a nerve, but she didn't care. He couldn't do anything to her even if he wanted to. He had no skill, no power, not even blood-status.

"You don't know anything about me." Tom tensed and looked as if there was nothing in the world he'd rather do then snap her neck.

She smiled, "But I will," she answered. He gave her a look full of acid and quietly stormed away. Bella lay back on the black leather sofa. Finally she could have some peace.

But almost instantly Tom was back. "Remember what I said earlier?" he spat. "About rich little you and your big, brown eyes, and -" but Bella cut him off angrily.

"My eyes are gray, Mudblood!"

It was hard to tell who was angrier. They just stood there, fists clenched, eyes burning. Finally, shaking with rage, Tom replied:

"No, they're not," and stormed off again.

Bella rushed to the lavatory mirror. Her eyes were gray, blue-gray; she didn't know why she was checking. As she flipped on the light, she looked at her reflection. But she was wrong. She didn't know how it was possible, but she was wrong. And so was Tom. Her eyes weren't gray-blue, nor were they brown.

They were black as night, and she had no idea why.

* * *

In general, friendships don't begin with insults and storming out of common rooms at four o'clock in the morning. At least, friendships between normal people don't, anyway. Bellatrix Black and Tom Riddle, however, could hardly be considered "normal people." Roughly four hours after their encounter in the common room, Bella and her first-year-followers made their way down to the Great Hall where Tom was already eating with other first-year boys. Bella walked up to him and gave him a smile. Much to her surprise, he actually smiled back. Not only that, but he also moved over and made room for her to sit right beside him.

"In the words of a common five-year-old, I guess this means we're friends?" she asked jokingly.

"Yeah, I guess."

Just then, an unusually obese man who rather resembled a small sofa walked by them.

"Ho, ho," he chuckled, "look who we have here: Miss Bellatrix Black. I see you have your family's looks."

"Thank you," she beamed. Actually, she felt rather uncomfortable; she had no idea who this person was. However, her mother had always told her to take a complement with a smile and a nod, no matter what. Bella did as she was told.

"And who is this charming young man?"

Bella answered, "This is my friend Tom. We've known each other for a while. He's a family friend." She had always been good at lying through her teeth.

"Well, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tom."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr…"

"Slughorn," he filled in, "Professor Slughorn, head of Slytheryn and potions instructor. But, alas, I'm afraid won't be seeing much of you two. I do not teach first-years. I say, I almost forgot," he withdrew two papers and tapped them with his wand, "here are your schedules, my dears. I will see you on Friday!"

Bella began to mix sugar into the cup of coffee beside her, "Do we have any classes together?"

"Why did you say that?"

"Because I wanted to know if I have any classes with you…"

"Not that, why did you call me a 'family friend'?"

"Well, it wasn't technically a lie. I mean I'm part of my family and you are a friend of mine, so really."

He wasn't convinced.

"I just made your life a lot easier."

"How so?"

"Slughorn rather favors my family. He likes old, pureblood lines. So if you start off the year as a favorite, life is easier."

"Thanks," he replied drily.

"Don't get used to it. I don't just hand out favors."

"I didn't really expect you to."

"So what do we have together?" Bella sipped her coffee.

"You check."

"No."

"Well I'm not going to."

"Me neither. I don't care that much."

"Then I guess we'll see later."

"I guess."

The ringing of a clock told the students that it was half-past eight.

"Come on, we'll be late," said Bella jumping out of her seat.

"So where are you going?"

"Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, you?"

"Same here."

"Est-que vrai?"

Tom glared at her. "I hate French."

"Je sais. That's why I do it."

"I can tell," and they walked to the Transfiguration corridor.

_Dear Diary,_

_You know when it's really late and you haven't taken out your contacts yet? You know how everything gets all blurry and soft? You're not really sure what's going on or how long it's taking; it's just sort of… there. Well, so I've been told anyway. I don't wear contacts. But if I did, I can imagine relating that late-night blurry vision thing to first year. Everything just sort of zoomed by. It seems like it shouldn't be over, and when I think about it, it seems really weird that I don't remember it that well. I remember the people. I obviously remember that I am the leader of my year. Everyone else looks up to me, and they should. I know I'm better than the rest of them, but if I'm so much better, shouldn't I be able to remember my first year of school better than this? _

_Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter that much. Some things I really don't want to think about, like that Malfoy person. I hate him! He's such a conceited prat! I hate people who think they're better than the rest of the world. Well, I guess I can't say that; there's one person who I like and he's kind of like that. Okay, not 'kind of,' he really thinks he's incredible, but he's subtle about it. He doesn't run right up to you and start bragging about himself, but you can tell, well, I can tell anyway, that in his own quiet way, he thinks he's all but a god. No, he definitely thinks he's a god. Sometimes I wonder why I like him so much. Then he smiles at me and I remember. _

_I was, am, the only person he really smiles at. It's not like he always walks around scowling, quite the contrary, actually. He just doesn't mean it when he smiles at other people and teachers. Those are just polite smiles or victorious ones. I'm the only one who gets the smiles that say he cares. Told you I was better. _

_At the same time, though, it almost makes me sad. He's always surrounded by people, but I think I'm the only friend he has. There are tons who claim to be close with him, but they're wrong. All those people that crowd him think he's giving them a time of day because he gives a crap whether they live or die. He doesn't. He's using them to his advantage, whatever that may be. He only cares about me. Just me. And I don't care what anyone else says. _

_Diary, you must have a pretty hard life. You're only purpose is to listen to my problems. Kind of like one of those psychologists he told me about last year. I'm sorry. Someone has to do it, though. Someone has to keep my secrets. And someone has to listen to my overuse of the pronoun 'he' because Tom absolutely hates his name, and as a real friend I won't make him use it. _

_I hear Father calling me downstairs. I'm so excited! Sirius starts his fist year today! I'll get to see him all the time now! It may sound odd, but my cousin is one of my best friends in the world! I love him like a brother. Well, not really, because it seems as if most brothers and sisters can't stand each other, but you know what I mean. _

_I have to go now._

_À bientôt! _

_B.B _

Bellatrix closed and locked her diary, put the key on the necklace she always wore, thrust the diary into a ridiculously expensive designer bag, and ran downstairs, her heels clicking loudly on the marble stairs.

Her parents and sisters were downstairs waiting for her. Andi and Cissa looked like they were on the verge of tears.

"Are you ready?" her mother asked without any feeling.

Bella held tightly onto her bag. "Yes."

Her father nodded and took Bellatrix and Andromeda by the arm. Likewise, their mother held onto Narcissa, and several house-elves took Bella's luggage. There was a jerk beneath them, and they all felt like they were being shoved through a tight, rubber tube.

As suddenly as it had come, the sensation stopped, and the entire Black family and a few elves were standing on Platform 9 ¾ again. Bella's father gave the house-elves a quick nod, and they immediately took her luggage to the train. Bella was hardly paying attention, though. She was craning her neck looking for Tom.

Andi tapped on her shoulder. "Bella, Bella," she squealed, "I see him! I see Sirius!" and she waved her arm energetically, trying to catch Sirius's attention.

When he finally saw his younger cousin, he dashed over. "Hey!" he yelled excitedly. He saw Bella and hugged her tightly. "I'm so excited!"

"Couldn't tell," she replied sarcastically.

Sirius laughed his adorable laugh and turned to Andi. "Look, it's my other favorite!" he exclaimed and he lifted Andi off the ground in a friendly squeeze.

Andi scream-laughed, "Sirius, put me down! Put me down!" and he did. For a minute he thought he scared her, and he never meant to do that. Sirius didn't rush up to Narcissa and pull her in a bear hug. Narcissa had never liked him, and he felt the same way about her. They exchanged a vague, polite, "Hello," and that was it.

Unfortunately, Sirius's parents had seen his overly-excited greetings for his two cousins and were not at all pleased. His Father gave him a cold, piercing glare and his mother wouldn't look at him at all. Sirius didn't mind, though. He was used to this kind of treatment from his parents.

After the warm greeting from her cousin, Bella began to look for Tom again. Sirius noticed that she was looking for something and asked what she was doing.

"I'm just looking for a friend."

"Do I know her?"

"He's a guy."

"Okay, do I know him?"

"Doubt it."

"What does he look like; I'll keep my eyes open."

"Actually, he kind of looks like me."

"Woah, he's that hot?"

Bella smacked him on the arm. "Why can't you grow up?"

"Would a _kid_ say that about their own cousin?"

"Bother Cissa for a while."

"What? My parents were cousins."

"I know. It creeps me out to this day. And I fail to see the relevance of that statement."

"So we could get married, and no one would think anything of it."

Bella jerked around and stared at her cousin. "Where the _hell_ did that come from?"

"Just thinking out loud."

"I'm not going to marry you, Sirius."

He put a hand to his heart and pretended to look forlorn. "I'm crushed."

Bella continued to look for Tom. "Go have incest babies with someone else."

"Fine. Where'd Andi go?"

Bella gave him a look.

"What, it's a reasonable question."

She ignored him for a minute and then asked, "Why Andi?"

"Because she's, like, your clone."

"Yeah, that's not disturbing."

He shrugged.

"And she's not my clone. Her hair is brown; mine is black, and my eyes are way darker, too."

"It's the same general idea. And your eyes are gray."

Bella shrugged. "Sometimes they are. Now get on the train."

"We've got plenty of time. It's only quarter till."

"Yes, I know. I'm just trying to get rid of you."

"I never would have guessed."

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella found who she was looking for. Tom was standing on the platform alone, but Bella could see several people making their way over to him. She noticed that a hand full of them were older than she and Tom. That was interesting.

"Mother, I'll be right back," but her mother just kept talking to some lady she knew from somewhere. She didn't pay attention to her daughter, not that Bella expected her to.

Bella, quite unlike her cousin, walked slowly and dignified over to her friend. She was the first of all the others to reach him. That would give them about a minute and a half or less to talk, but that didn't worry Bella. Ever since the first day of school when they came across each other at four in the morning, they had continued their ridiculously early morning chats every day. So there would be time to talk later.

Tom spotted her and she gave him a quick wave. "Hey," she began casually. He smiled.

"It's nice to see you again."

"Good to see you, too," he answered.

"I thought you totally forgot about me."

"I'm sorry about that."

"You didn't write all summer."

"Neither did you."

"Yes I did. My owls couldn't find you. I had them looking all summer through the entire wizarding world to find you."

"I'm difficult to find."

"Some might find that quite mysterious."

"I suppose."

"I find it irritating."

"Well that's unfortunate."

"You should make it up to me," she smiled.

"And how should I do that."

"Sit with me on the train today, and we'll be even."

"I'm not sitting with those obnoxious girls you surround yourself with."

"Alright, then you can choose the compartment, but I have to be in it."

"That's fair enough."

"See you in ten minutes then," Bella began to leave as Tom's followers were beginning to arrive.

"See you then," he nodded.

Bella walked back over to her family, but they were gone. They left her without even saying goodbye. Bella allowed herself three seconds of emotion. She would rather die than have all these people see her having a fit. She wasn't angry with her sisters; they probably tried to stay to see her off. She was furious with her parents. Right then, she hated them.

Sirius walked up to her. "So your folks left too?"

"Obviously."

"High five," he held up his hand, but she didn't respond. "Bellatrix," he said in a surprisingly caring tone, "don't worry about them. Just forget it. Our parents are assholes; we know that. It must come with the inbreeding."

She giggled a little and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Sirius, even though if our parents heard you say that you'd be killed."

He laughed and hugged her back. "Yeah, I guess I would."

"I'm really glad you're here this year."

"Yeah, me too, Trixie."

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me 'Trixie.'"


	4. Chapter 4

Pulling her cousin behind her, Bella boarded the train and began to look for Tom. She couldn't find him through the sea of people, over half of which was trying to talk to her. She tried to hold onto Sirius's arm, but he kept pulling her the other way.

"Sirius, cut it out!"

"You'll see him when we get there, Bells. Why don't we go sit somewhere else?"

"You can. I'm going to find him."

Just then, some rampaging idiot ran full-speed into Bella, and she screamed, more out of anger than pain.

"_Watch it_!" she yelled as her cousin helped her up.

"Hey, you're hot," the other person answered. It was a boy's voice.

Bella slapped him. Hard. Right across his cocky little face. The boy put his hand where hers had just been. There was a bright red mark where skin and skin had collided. Bella could tell he was trying not to cry. She realized he was probably a first-year. If he cried in public, the result would be utterly mortifying. Not only that, but it would follow him for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, though, she got the strangest feeling in her stomach, like butterflies. She smiled at his pain knowing that she had caused it. Watching him scramble for his glasses only made her grin broaden.

Bella felt something hit her arm. It was Sirius. Right, she thought, he's still here.

"What was that for?!" he demanded.

She shrugged it off and walked down the train corridor. "He deserved it." Sirius didn't follow like the obedient puppy he was supposed to be. Damn him.

There was a light tap on Bella's shoulder. She turned around and smiled; it was Tom. It was the first time she had gotten a really good look at him since the end of last year. Good _God_, he had gotten tall. That wasn't fair. Last year they stood at eye level, now Bella only came up to his nose. She would have to find a growing spell. Or some heels. Or both. No, the shoes sounded seemingly less painful. If she wrote the letter now, they would be at the school by the time she arrived.

Without any other sort of introduction, Tom said, "Come in here. I have something I want to show you," and thoughts of the letter she had been forming melted. She did, however, turn to look for her cousin. He hadn't moved and was looking at her with deep disappointment. She gave him a look telling him to come, but he shook his head and walked the other way.

They stepped inside the compartment, and Tom closed the door behind them. She forgot about Sirius. There was a pile of books on one of the seats. Bella gave him an odd look. "You want to show me something that was in our homework?"

He sighed. "No, I want to show you something amazing I found over the summer."

"Okay, good, because I was going to say –"

"I don't really care."

"_Excuse_ me?"

Tom glanced up at her. "Sorry," he began unconvincingly, "it's just, this is incredible, and you're the first person I've shown it to. I really want you to read this."

Bella calmed down. "Alright, let's see it, then." Just then, the whistle blew and the train began to roll.

Tom picked up the top book and opened to a page marked with a paper clip.

"You need a better bookmark," Bella remarked.

"Not the point."

"Right, right, so what am I looking for?" she said while scanning the pages.

Tom sat next to her, and pointed to a small section. "Right there, the part I underlined."

Bella read: _... and so the line of Slytheryn continued down to the family of Marvolo Gaunt. It is believed that…_

The underlined section continued, but Bella didn't really see the importance of this. She glanced up at Tom, "Is this when I jump in the air and scream, 'By George, I think we've got it!'?"

"Don't you _get_ this? Don't you see what it _means_?"

"The Heir of Slytheryn must have a ridiculous last name?"

"Bella, if I didn't attend Hogwarts, you'd be at the top of our class. You can figure this out. Use logic! Just think about this: My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. _Marvolo_!"

"Okay…"

"Honestly, how many _Marvolos_do you know? And look over here," he pulled out another book. "It says here that Marvolo had a daughter, Merope."

There was a long, dark line of ink covering the next two lines. Bella pointed to the stain. "What do you think that was?"

"Itwasn'timportantanyway," Tom said in a hurried slur. "But look at this: _Merope was said to have named her only son after his father, who's name remains unknown, and after her father, Marvolo._ Don't you get it?"

Bella smiled at him, "You're not serious, are you?"

"Look, this makes perfect sense!"

She laughed slightly. "Yeah, sure it does."

Tom didn't let the Heir of Slytheryn subject go. He prodded Bella during the entire voyage to the school. Bella was almost disturbed by the amount of time and effort Tom apparently spent on research. She almost felt bad that he couldn't convince her, almost. Something just wasn't clicking; it wasn't possible. The Heir of Slytheryn would have to be foremost, and obviously, an _heir_ _of Slytheryn_. She couldn't verify that for Tom. No, there were just too many doubts. The Heir would be someone pureblooded, someone rich and influential, someone like Bella…

The only positive to her doubt was that it was driving Tom mad. Bella couldn't help but giggle as he showed her page after page of evidence he had collected. She had come to realize that Tom was one of those people who had to be continually put in their place. Seeing as no one else did, Bella took the task upon herself. Unfortunately, Tom did the same to her. They were two Alphas competing with each other, like two south poles on a magnet who really wanted to be close, but nature just wouldn't allow it.

Although she enjoyed having her best friend to herself, Bella was almost relieved when others began to join their compartment. She recognized everyone, but she was more acquainted with the girls: Emmy, Ivy, Amber, and Hayley. Vaguely, Bella wondered where her upper-classmen "friends" were. Why weren't they sitting in her compartment? Oh well, it's not like it really mattered. Bella wasn't sure why she was so surprised to see Kurk Aker, Clay Reine, Caleb Baker, Xavier Rayner, and Daniel Barnett join the compartment. After all, they were in her year. Well, that didn't matter much either.

Tom smoothly stowed his books under the seat as people began to pour in. He turned to Bella.

"We're not done with this conversation."

"I expected as much."

When Xavier sat across from Bella, Tom leaned closer so no one else would hear. His lips almost touched Bella's ear. "Same time, same place?" He smiled slightly.

Bella felt a shiver rush down her spine, and she nodded.

Unsure of how it happened, they managed to fit twelve people into a rapidly shrinking compartment. Although she was a fan of large crowds, Bella was also slightly claustrophobic. It wasn't a serious issue, and usually it didn't bother her at all. Crushed in her one square foot of space, however, she closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply.

Tom noticed this and looked over at her. He discreetly nudged her shoulder (which wasn't difficult as they were tightly crammed together) and gave her a sideways look that meant something like, "Are you alright?" Bella gave him a tiny smile and nodded.

She had always been a good liar. She prided herself on this ability, but she wasn't good enough for Tom. He gave her another look, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I'll be fine," she seemed to say.

Just in time, a rather short girl knocked on the compartment door, and someone (it was difficult to tell whom) opened it. Bella recognized the girl Janice Laime, a fourth-year Hufflepuff.

Janice looked around and said, "Um, is Bellatrix Black in here?"

"Yes," Bella answered.

"Um, Professor Slughorn wants to see you."

To Bella, the sound of this girl's voice was like nails on a blackboard, so she nodded once and stood up with her back to the girl, a sign she should leave. Bella was relieved for an excuse to get out of the overcrowded compartment, but she felt bad leaving Tom. She pulled at his sleeve.

"Come with." It wasn't a question.

"I wasn't invited."

"Now you are. Come on," she bent closer to his ear, "or you could always stay here."

Tom glanced quickly around the compartment and followed Bella. It was rather difficult to get into the corridor. "Do you know where Professor Slughorn is?" he asked.

"No idea, actually, but it can't be too hard to find him. I mean, he's huge." She didn't know this for a fact. For some reason Professor Slughorn didn't teach first-years, but she had heard of his size from many reliable sources.

"How very disrespectful."

"It's not like I'm saying it to his face. I'm just making an observation, and it's not like you'll tell anyone I said that."

Bella was right about at least two of her statements; it took only a few moments to find the compartment where Slughorn, just as large as she had heard, and a few other select students were sitting. Bella noticed the messenger girl wasn't there. _Good_, thought Bella, _I can't stand her voice_.

Although the curtains were closed, there was a tiny crack through which Bella saw five people, including Slughorn. She noticed that she, besides Tom, was by far the youngest in the compartment, but was able to recognize everyone. Mitchell Yates, fourth year Ravenclaw; Barnabas Cuffe, a sixth year Gryffindor whom she hated on principle; Gwenog Jones, fifth year Hufflepuff; and another fourth year Ravenclaw, Eileen Law.

She was about to open the door when Tom placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't think he'll mind I'm here, do you?"

Bella was taken aback. "Since when do you care?"

"I don't, well, I wouldn't. I just don't want to aggravate the person in control of my grades."

"Aww."

"You've heard as much about Slughorn as I have. You know he picks his handful of favorites whose lives become drastically easier, but if he doesn't like you..."

"Because that's not slimy."

Tom shrugged which made Bella laughed a little. "And that's why I like you." Then together they entered the compartment.

Although there were six students, including themselves, and Slughorn took up the space of almost three people, they could tell how much roomier it was compared to the one they just left. Slughorn stood and extended his hand to Bella. He wasn't much taller then her.

"_Oho_, Miss Bellatrix Black. Charming! Simply charming to finally meet you, m'girl!"

Bella felt the urge to grimace. _I'm **not** your girl_, she mentally spat. But she smiled through the greeting nevertheless. She was also wondering if Slughorn was a bit senile. She and Tom had been introduced to Slughorn at the beginning of last term.

Slughorn continued, "Of course I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you. But what else could be expected, coming from a family like yours? Oh, I've heard marvelous things from your professors. Once I heard another Black was coming to Hogwarts I simply _had_ to investigate. Yes, they told me how you are the most promising youth they've seen in ages! And also one of the most stunning, and I must say I agree."

Tom's hand clenched into a fist but quickly relaxed again. _Stop overreacting_, he told himself. _Why should you care anyway?_

"Yes, yes, you're everything I've heard and more. Top of your class, though that doesn't surprise me in the least. Your parents were both very bight, too. I had the privilege of being their professor for a time. Sad, though, that I only had them for two years, but I've remained in correspondence with them."

Bella politely smiled and nodded. "Yes, they've mentioned you."

"Have they now? Good. Good. Yes, I always expected great things from Cynigus and Druella. Meaning no offence, however, you quite surpass your mother and father in appearance, but, of course, you won't tell them I said that."

Bella giggled in a well-mannered fashion. "No, sir." _But they've already heard that enough_, she silently added.

Slughorn noticed she was still standing. "Oh, my sincerest apologies, Miss Black, please sit."

She and Tom sat where Slughorn gestured, and he seemed to notice Tom for the first time.

"And who, Miss Black, is this charming young man?"

"This is my good friend Thomas Riddle. His parents were good friends with mine, but they were in a terrible accident several years ago. I barely remember it."

"Well, Mr. Riddle, I am truly sincerely sorry about your loss, but I must say that the name 'Riddle' does not ring a bell and I pride myself on remembering my students."

" They attended Durmstrang, so I doubt you knew them. His parents were also a few years older then mine, so they attended school before you began teaching."

"Hmm, 'Riddle.' Odd name for that location," replied Slughorn.

"Oh, Mr. Riddle lived around here, but it was a tradition on his mother's side to attend Durmstrang, and she persisted."

"I see. I see. So tell me, Mr. Riddle, whom do you live with now?"

Tom opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He wished he could lie fluently on the spot like Bella.

"With his Father's second cousin in London. She separated herself from the magical world after the accident. I'm afraid it quite scarred her, the poor dear."

Slughorn chuckled. "Well, sir, it seems Miss Black knows you better than you know yourself."

"It certainly seems so," replied Tom.

There was a brief pause and than an, "Oh!" from Professor Slughorn. "Pardon my manors; I almost forgot introductions…"

As he "introduced" the compartment inhabitants to Bella and Tom, the conductor announced the train would arrive in fifteen minutes' time.

"Well, best not to keep you any longer. I assume you all would like to change into your school attire. I will see you soon, then – especially you, Miss Black and Mr. Riddle. I'd like to hear more about you, but next time I'd like you to the talking." He winked at Bella.

As they walked to their original compartment, Tom looked at Bella. "My name isn't Thomas," he said.

"It sounds more formal."

"Your parents didn't know mine."

"He loves my parents. It sounded good."

"I don't even know where Durmstrang is."

"Not many do."

When the stepped through the sliding glass door and found everyone else had scattered, Tom closed the door and the curtains. He turned to face Bella but wished he hadn't. She was facing away from him and beginning to unbutton her blouse. His twelve-year-old face burned. She saw him and squealed.

"I didn't know you came _in_!"

"Who did you think shut the door?"

"You, but still!"

He reached for the door, extremely grateful he closed the curtains, but Bella yelled, "No! Don't open the door! Look, just turn around for a second."

He did as asked, but his face was still flushed. He really, really didn't mean to see her changing. Not that he had seen much. Actually he only saw her hands making the unbuttoning motion, but that didn't matter. He tried to calm himself down. _It was an accident_, he told himself. _She's your friend; she knows you weren't trying to watch her. It's okay. We'll just forget this. By the time we get to school this will be out of our minds_. The flush in his cheeks was leaving, but he knew he couldn't fool himself. This tiny accident would always haunt him. Always be in the back of his mind. He really hoped Bella would just forget this whole thing ever happened.

But he knew she wouldn't.

"Okay, you can turn around now."

He sat down and tried not to look at her, but that didn't last for long. She sat across from him and looked in his eyes. She knew he was avoiding her and would not allow it.

She bought new robes, he noticed. They were similar to last year's, but the Slytheryn crest was larger, the blazer collar was larger with a deeper "V" at the top, pleats in her skirt were larger, and she wore a thin, silky, silver-and-green scarf tied around her neck. Must be some new style, he thought vaguely.

Tom stopped himself for a moment. He hadn't known he noticed her appearance so much until now. He knew she was beautiful, everyone in the school knew that, but he remembered these tiny details. Every girl in the school would notice what he just did and try to imitate her, but that was simply because they wanted to be just like Bella. He didn't want to be like her, he knew that for sure, so he was noticing these changes for another reason.

But what this reason was he didn't know.

"Do you want me to go?" Bella's voice awoke him from his thoughts.

"Why?"

"So you can change, we're almost there."

"Oh, yes, please," he answered.

She stood outside and waited, and he opened the curtains once his robes were comfortably on to say she could come in. When she did, however, he felt oddly sensitive in his own second-hand robes, and in a flash he realized why.

He was always competing with her. _Always_. Sure they were friends, but at the same time he was continually trying to one-up her. Not in a hateful way, but he needed to feel superior. She was the only person he had ever been remotely close to, and he couldn't let her have the upper hand. That's why he was so angry when she didn't believe his heir of Slytheryn theory and why he had noticed her new clothes. She would always have the breeding and money, two things he could never have.

The train stopped, and Bella and Tom – still standing – lurched forward slightly. Bella looked at him in the eyes. He hated when she did that.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

Bella nodded and they just stood there. Looking at each other. Waiting for the other to say something. Then suddenly, Bella threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Tom just stood there awkwardly. The last time he had been hugged was when he still needed a nurse to feed and clothe him, and that didn't count. He didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what's wrong or what's happened or anything like that, but something's wrong, I can tell. I just want you to know that you can always tell me anything," she said.

Tom still just stood there.

"And I wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. You know, back in Slughorn's compartment. I'll tell him I lied, if that's what you want."

Tom pulled back, and Bella let go of him. She looked at the floor. Tom had never seen her like this; it was as if she was a completely different person.

"Don't worry," he told her, "you didn't upset me. And, um, if you don't mind," now it was his turn to look down, "don't tell Slughorn you lied."

Bella nodded, took a deep breath and looked at him again. She was back to herself as was he.

"Come on, everyone's leaving and I am _not_ going to get stuck in a gross boat."

But as they stepped onto the platform, they noticed second years would not be traveling by boat. This year, and for the remainder of their school career apparently, they would travel by horseless carriage. They found a dry carriage and were soon joined by Kurk Aker and Ivy Something-or-Another from earlier. Kurk kept looking at Bella while Ivy exclaimed how she _loved_ her new uniform and _had_ to get one just like it.

Tom looked at Bella, "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?"

He merely shrugged, and soon Xavier and Emmy had pressed themselves together in Tom's seat. Bella remained quiet for most of the trip, which everyone knew was quite unlike her. She was the one to jump into conversation. She was the one to spit out sharp, witty retorts, but at the moment she was completely silent. She didn't care what these people were saying. She was worried, deeply worried, about her friend, and she had no idea why. But then she realized that she didn't feel worried. She was feeling a different emotion. She just didn't want him to leave, because when he was around she felt lighter and happier.

And it came over her like an icy tidal wave that she was very slowly falling in love with her best friend.

* * *

New policy: Five reviews equals one new chapter.

More reviews equals longer chapter

Seeking Beta. Interested? E-mail me at or Facebook me.

I love you all!


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is dedicated to LovettsLover whom I adore! Without her this chapter would not be here. Thank you!**

* * *

Bella spent the majority of the ride wringing her hands and looking downcast. She didn't know why she was feeling so… antsy. Antsy? Was that the word she was looking for? She wanted to scream! Since when did she _care_ about what word she used to describe her emotions? She was being impossibly un-Bellaish, and if she noticed this then she knew everyone else noticed, too.

As she sat in the surprisingly smooth carriage, she made a resolution to herself. She would _not_ let anyone see her in this state of, state of what? Vulnerability? She mentally screamed again. She didn't _care_ what words described her feelings. She _knew_ who she was. She _shouldn't_ and _wouldn't_ change that now. So however, or whatever, she was feeling was causing her to – to – have some sort of breakdown. Yes, that was it. That was the word she was looking for.

Or was it?

_Damn._

The carriage came to a stop, but they were told to wait a moment before exiting. Bella took the time to recollect herself and speak to her "friends," or whatever they were.

"I just want to say I'm sorry," she began. They all looked at her with confused expressions.

"My, my sister, she's really sick. The Healers haven't figured out what's wrong yet, and I've just been sort of out of it…" she let her voice trail off and she conjured a few tears.

"I'm just so worried about her," she concluded.

Ivy and Emmy wrapped their arms around her.

"Aww, it'll be okay, Bella."

"The poor thing!"

"How can you manage?"

Bella covered her face with her right hand, the one with the Irva Bradling bracelet (because _everyone_ knows that Scarlet Rose and Cinnamon Charpay might as well be dead), to hide her smirk.

"I don't know," Bella sobbed. "It's just so hard." She thought she heard a faint giggle/snort sound, but she chose to ignore it.

* * *

Walking toward the Slytheryn table, Bella began to wonder what her comrades _wouldn't_ believe. Honestly, 'the Healers don't know what's wrong with her'? How could anyone fall for that? She started to wonder if she should associate herself with more intellectual people, but when she thought about it, she didn't really know any. Well, there was one. But the one _insanely_ intelligent person she knew she was doing her best to avoid. Wait, no she wasn't. Where had she come up with that? Did she need to avoid him? Should she feel like she had to?

Thinking for a moment, she decided no, she didn't have to avoid Tom. Sure she had a teeny, tiny crush on him, but that's not anything to be overdramatic about. And she knew he didn't like her, so it's not like this would be awkward or anything. No everything would be just like last year and then –

_Oh, God, there he is!_ she silently screamed. The butterflies in her stomach were going berserk; it felt like they were about to burst right out of her. She almost stumbled against Xavier but quickly regained her composure. She wasn't on the train or the carriage anymore. Now she was at school, and she needed to be what everyone expected: perfect. Unconditionally perfect.

She stood _perfectly_ straight, walked _perfectly_ in her twelve-year-old heels, sashayed _perfectly_ over to her table, gave little finger flutters (a high-class currently fashionable gesture) to people she knew, and daintily took the seat between Clay Reine and Tom, to whom she gave a glaring pout.

"You left me," she whined.

"I wouldn't say that."

Bella dropped the pout but kept up the death glare. "I would," she began. "You just got up and left. Have you not yet _grasped_ that people _don't do that to me_?"

"Oh, so you're feeling better? I thought you'd still be upset about your ill sister."

She lowered her voice. "Who told you about that?"

He gave her a sideways glance and a half-smile. "Your cousin," he replied. After a minute he began to laugh softly, which was not like him at all.

"What's so funny?"

Tom looked at her, still smiling. This was such a rare phenomenon that Bella had almost forgotten how dazzling his smile was.

"Your cousin," he began, "Sergius, is that his name?"

"Sirius," she corrected. _As if __my__ family would __ever__ give him a name meaning "servant!"_

"Right, Sirius, then. Well, he doesn't seem to be very… _fond_ of me."

"What? I'm sure you just got off on the wrong foot. I've told Sirius all about you and –"

Tom was laughing again. "I know. He mentioned."

Bella wasn't following this. Sure she had talked about Tom, but she hadn't said anything that might embarrass her. She knew better than that.

"Well, what did he say?"

"He mentioned your home life…"

_NO_! No! No! No!

How could he!?

No one was supposed to know about her family!! She was a Black, a pureblood Black, and that was enough! People were supposed to assume her parents adored her, that she was their pride and joy, their life force. No one could know about her cold, cruel parents. No one could know about the arguing, the distance, the lack of any sort of contact, weather physical or emotional. No, not a soul could know, especially Tom.

Thankfully he didn't notice her internal frenzy of emotions.

"Apparently," he paused, wondering how to word this. "Apparently, it is not uncommon for pureblood families to have… intimate relations with family members."

She controlled her blush. Yes that was rather embarrassing, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Sirius could have told him so much, but she should have known better. Sirius may have been an idiot, but he knew who to trust and he would not confide in anyone he didn't trust his life with.

Bella refocused on Tom's statement. Yes, she was aware of that. Her parents and grandparents had been cousins, as were her aunt and uncle. But so what?

Tom wasn't finished. "And apparently, your family has mentioned such things to you and Sirius."

It was getting harder to control her reddening face. Yes, her parents and Sirius's parents had mentioned marriage on several occasions. Why not? They would be a lovely couple and it was perfectly sociably acceptable. And Sirius was obviously not opposed to the idea.

But still, something about marring Sirius made her nauseous. She'd never mention her secret fear to her parents – or anyone for that matter – but she wondered how long this family could keep intermarrying before children began having extra fingers and toes.

So in response to Tom, Bella merely nodded.

Tom was clearly wondering how he could drag this conversation longer, but was coming up short.

"Sirius wants me to back off."

"What?" Bella felt the urge to kick her cousin. "But you're not, I mean –"

"Well, that's not the exact _phrasing_ he used, but it's the general idea. That cousin of yours has quite the tongue for a first-year."

As if on cue, the first years began to file in, and Sirius, his surname being "Black" and all, was one of the first in line. He gave a playful wink to Bella and another less polite gesture to Tom.

Bella put her face in her hands. "Once he gets over here I _swear_ I'm going to kill him!"

The bespectacled witch, whom they had since learned to be Professor McGonagall, yet again came forth with the three-legged stool and the ancient Sorting Hat. Bella looked at the professor and seemed to notice her for the first time. While in class she was usually doing advanced Transfiguration under the desk with Tom (which sounded vaguely indecent now that she thought about it), so she had no reason to look at the professor. Bella remembered that she wasn't very old, probably about five years younger than her parents. If she would use a simple Sight Charm instead of those square glasses and wear her hair down, she had definite potential to be pretty. Especially if she wore green.

Yes! That's what she needed: an expensive set of emerald green robes. Unable to shake the image out of her head, Bella cast a simple Remembrance Charm she learned last year. She couldn't forget to order the robes. McGonagall could thank her later. Besides, this wasn't one of those awkward gifts you gave to people you didn't know. Bella was on good terms with all her teachers, but especially McGonagall. She knew Bella didn't pay attention in class, but that was because Bella thought on a much higher level.

Bella assumed she would be continuing her private after school lessons with McGonagall this term. Last year, surprisingly enough, they both had a great time, but usually Bella was standing in front of her teacher, so she didn't see her much then, either. It was nice that McGonagall wasn't one of those really strict, severe teachers. She was really calm and relaxed.

And she would look awesome in green.

Bella noticed she was having more fun mentally giving her professors makeovers than listening to the obnoxious singing Hat. She thought about the sadness of that statement.

Once the Hat had finally stopped singing, Bella had given mental makeovers to Professor McGonagall, Professor Ismene Higgins, Professor Veda Moon, and Madame Prunella, the school Healer. She was most pleased with Higgins's results, but Moon had been the most fun. Professor Moon taught Astronomy and was an even bigger flake then the Divination instructor, Professor Proteus, a mad old man with a frightening obsession with water in all its forms.

The Hat was silent, and McGonagall began reading from a large scroll.

"Aalders, Paulina."

"Ravenclaw!" exclaimed the Hat.

"Aaron, Isidore."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Abbate, Tamzen."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Accorsi, Camryn."

"Gryffindor!"

"Ahearn, Jaylen!"

"Slytheryn!"

_Finally_, thought Bella, _a Slytheryn_.

But after:

"Akerman, Henry."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Alberighi, Leonora."

"Slytheryn!"

"Alfaro, Evita."

"Ravenclaw!"

And

"Annema, Garrett."

"Gryffindor!"

Bella was getting very impatient, and when she was impatient she was… unpleasant.

"How in the _hell_ can there _possibly_ be this many 'A's'?!" she whispered bitterly.

Tom looked at her and had to suppress a laugh, but he couldn't help but be amused at her anger. The way her eyes shone, the way she clenched her jaw, the way she drummed her fingers in a manner that would play a classical song on the piano, the way she tensed and looked so determined, even for something so small; it was cute.

_No,_ he scolded himself, _Bella is not cute. You can't think like that. That's twisted! She's just your friend and…_ But Tom had tuned out the annoying little voice and couldn't stop staring at Bella.

She noticed him looking and glared at him. "_What?!_" she barked.

Amused, Tom shook his head. "Nothing."

But finally, after "Ayton, Kendall," became a Gryffindor, McGonagall moved onto the B's. There were twenty-three A's! Why were there always so many damned A's? But twenty-three? That had to be some sort of obscene record. Thank goodness there were only six B's before "Black, Sirius" was called. Bella's anger melted at the sight of her carefree cousin. Somehow he managed to find her in the crowd and give her a final wink before he was submerged beneath the Hat.

Bella quickly nudged Tom. "Scoot over!"

"Why?"

"So Sirius has a place to sit! Move!"

"Bella, if I try to move down chaos will break out, I assure you."

She hit him on the arm, which hurt more than he'd expected or he'd admit, and continued watching her cousin. She didn't know why the darned Hat was taking so long. He was a Black! Obviously he would be in Slytheryn.

_Sirius felt the brim of the hat cover his eyes. He was glad he saw Trixie before he was cloaked in darkness. He gave her a wink that meant to say, "See you soon." But then he heard a voice. _

"_Trixie? Pray tell, who is Trixie?"_

"_Um, my cousin, she's a second-year in Slytheryn now."_

"_Ah, you must be referring to Miss Bellatrix. I've heard her called many things, but never Trixie."_

"_That's just my nick name for her. She can't stand it, though."_

"_I see. So, you are thinking that you will be placed in Slytheryn, aren't you?"_

"_Well, duh. I'm a Black. Everyone in my family has been in Slytheryn."_

"_But you are different from, as you say, everyone else in your family. The House of Slytheryn is, first and foremost, for the ambitious. You, my good sir, are anything but ambitious."_

"_And what's that supposed to mean?"_

"_You live too much in the moment and are unconcerned about the future. You care much about others and hardly at all about yourself. You aim to please rather than to be pleased. In a heartbeat you would lay down your life for a friend. All of these are good reasons why you should not be in Slytheryn. Hardly any of these characteristics apply to them."_

"_Hey! Don't say that! My cousin's awesome and –"_

"_Oh, fret not, I do not deny your cousin's," the Hat chuckled, "awesomeness. I merely mean to say that your life is yours to live. Do not feel pressured into the House of Slytheryn because of your family."_

_Sirius thought for a moment. _

"_And if your cousin is what you have described to me, then I am sure she will understand."_

_The more Sirius thought, the more he liked the idea of not being in Slytheryn. His mother and father were always telling him how defiant and horrid he was. Wouldn't it be the ultimate defiance to be in another House? Like Gryffindor? _

"_However, that is certainly by no means a good reason for not wanting to be in the House of your parents. Make this choice on your own."_

_Sirius thought for another moment. "Alright," he said, "I just have one more question."_

"_I'm certain I have one more answer."_

"_Well, I've been talking to you for a long time now, how long was it really?"_

_The Hat was taken aback. "Your cousin said those exact words to me last year, and I will give you the exact same answer," the Hat gave a little chuckle. "My dear, it will seem as if you have just put me on to all those watching. Time goes by much slower, if you will, during sorting."_

"_So you know what I'm thinking."_

"_That I do, and I assure you I didn't mean to offend you by calling you 'dear.' That was merely how I addressed you cousin last year. Now, are you quite ready, young Master Black?"_

_Sirius nodded, and the Hat took a gulp of air._

"Gryffindor!" it bellowed, and the right table cheered.

Bella looked as though she had been slapped, insulted, and force-fed lemons simultaneously. When Sirius tried to catch her eye again, she just shook her head slowly and looked away.

Tom was about to make a cheeky comment about how he was glad he hadn't moved, but even he wasn't brave enough to test Bellatrix when she was like this. Bella was gone and Bellatrix had taken over, but he knew she'd be better soon. His sweet, loyal Bella would return to him by morning.

But he doubted she would ever return to Sirius.

_Late that night, the Sorting Hat sat on the Headmaster's shelf, deep in thought. He couldn't believe the irony of this year's Sorting. Last year he had all but begged Bellatrix Black to choose a House, any House, other than Slytheryn. He knew it would corrupt her. Make her Dark. That House and that Riddle boy. Yet today he had pleaded for young Sirius to choose Slytheryn. That House needed him. No, thinking back on it, he had not wanted Sirius to be in his ancestor's House. But at the same time he did. Now his opinion on the matter was entirely blurred. He didn't know what to think anymore. _

_Yet he couldn't get the images of the two Black cousins out of his mind. They were both destined for great things, as was that Riddle boy, as much as he hated to admit it. But now there was nothing to be done. There was no hope for them. None whatsoever. _

* * *

**Same rules apply as last time. Five reviews and I will update either that day or the next. More reviews equals longer chapters. So please review!**

**In response to the comment I've received a few times:**

**Yes, I know Tommiekins is like thirty years older than Bella in the books, but I like to pretend that they went to school together. That's why fanfiction rocks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is dedicated to LovettsLover, Girly-Black and Julia. More reviews would be very appreciated! **

It was almost 5:30. Bella sat fully dressed in one of her new uniforms wondering where Tom was. He usually came around 5:15. Often he arrived before Bella. Now, though, she just sat in a leather chair, holding her head in one hand, drumming her fingers.

She was in either shock or denial, she couldn't decide which. Sirius wasn'tin Slytheryn. How could that possibly happen? He was a Black! Slytheryn was practically madefor the Blacks. She had come to realize, however, that she wasn't mad at him for being sorted into Gryffindor. She was mad at him for infuriating her family. But after thinking that for a while she realized she wasn't mad at him at all; she was frightened for him, but her terror was such a strong emotion she mistook it for rage. After all, that was an emotion she felt very frequently toward her cousin.

There was the sound of footsteps and Bella spun around.

"Good morning," she greeted, and he replied the same.

"How does it feel to be a second-year?" Tom asked.

Bella shrugged. "I expected it to be different."

"I know what you mean," he sighed.

But Bella shook her head. "No," she replied, "you have no idea." Against her will, a few tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

Tom sat down beside her rather awkwardly. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Bella swallowed, looked up and shook her head. "Why? You don't care. You don't care about my little problems."

"That's not true. I do care."

Exasperated, Bella met his eyes. "Don't start, Tom. I don't know why you're doing this, but it won't help. You don't want to listen. We both know that."

"Since this day last year we've met every morning to talk. Why would you think I don't want to listen to you?"

"Because that was different! That was talking about – about school, and homework, and people. This is serious. This is a conversation you'd have with someone you're really close to, and you don't want to be close to me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well it's true, isn't it? Tom, I'm not judging you or anything, but you don't like having emotional attachments to people. You just don't. And, hey, usually I don't either, but right now that's what I need. I don't need someone to compete with; I need a friend, a real, intimate friend. And we both know you can't do that."

Tom put an arm around her shoulder. "But I can try," he looked at her and realized that he had never seen her cry, not even a little, and no one else had either. That's what made him decide he could be her friend. She gave him something she never gave anyone else. Her tears. The rest of the world saw Bellatrix Black, but he saw Bella, the face she never showed the rest of the world. He had Bella all to himself.

And he would never share her with anyone.

The next day at breakfast, there was the usual swarm of owls caring morning post. Sirius received no less than six Howlers, each of which almost shook the windows out of their panes.

Bellatrix had fled from the Hall out of shame.

It took Tom less than a week to have the entire Slytheryn House eating out of the palm of his hand. He told them he was the Heir of Slytheryn, and everyone accepted it without question.

Everyone but Bella.

On the first Saturday of the term, Bella walked to Professor McGonagall's office to ask her a question.

She knocked on the door.

"Come in," was the reply.

Bella opened the heavy door. "Good afternoon, Professor."

McGonagall looked up from a stack of papers. "Hello, Bellatrix. How was your summer?"

"Wonderful, thank you."

"Excellent! Now how can I help you, dear?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could continue my lessons with you."

McGonagall looked confused. "But why would you take them from me? After all, I'm no longer you're teacher. Why don't you ask Professor Dumbledore? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to assist you."

"But I can't stand him!" Bella burst out before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand over her mouth, and her eyes went wide.

To Bella's great relief, McGonagall did not look angry in the least. In fact, she looked rather amused. "And why might that be?"

"He just doesn't get me. I understand Transfiguration so easily that I get bored in class. Then he gets mad at me, and I try to explain that I can't help it, but –"

McGonagall laughed slightly. "You can't learn, but you want to."

"Yes."

The professor thought for a moment and then said, "Very well, Miss Bellatrix, what say you to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:00. Thursdays and Tuesdays are always full of paperwork."

Bella wanted to jump in the air. "Thank you, Professor!" she exclaimed.

"You're quite welcome, now off you go."

* * *

Hovering over a pile of textbooks and parchment, Bella and Tom sat in the vast library. They weren't really studying, but the library was the best place to go for an afternoon chat. The librarian, Madame Hakim, was a ridiculously ancient woman whose sense of hearing was rapidly declining, and students had learned early that when Bella and Tom were studying – or at least looked like they were – anyone who approached them would quickly find themselves in the hospital wing.

"So you've been pulling off this Heir of Slytheryn thing for what, almost three months now?"

Tom nodded.

"Well I've been thinking," she paused so Tom would look up, "about this whole 'Tom Riddle' thing."

He looked rather confused. "And…"

"The Heir needs a better name than Tom. Let's face it, your name doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of small children."

"So what are you thinking of?"

"Well, I think we should do something cool like an anagram."

"Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "I thought that was rather obvious. 'We' meaning you and I."

"Where do you fit into this picture?"

"Look," she was suddenly all-business, "I don't know if you're planning world domination or a break-in to Honeydukes, but in case you haven't noticed, any diabolical group headed by a male does not succeed."

"Oh, I see. This makes you second in command."

"See how long it took you to figure that out? Imagine yourself scheming without me." She batted her long eyelashes.

He laughed and stared at her. "Deal."

"What? You're just going to cave in that easily? That's not possible. Where's the fight? Where's the argument? Where's the part where I yell in your face and put frog spawn in your shoes?"

"First of all, I cannot picture you touching frog spawn, much less putting some in my shoes. Secondly, maybe I'm not caving. Maybe I want you," she gave him a look. "Around, I mean," he concluded.

"Alright. So if you're the Heir of Slytheryn, what does that make me?"

"I thought we were talking about my name, here?"

"Fine, fine," she withdrew a green, thick, leather-bound book from her bag. Then, she took off her necklace (which Tom had never seen her do), and unlocked the book with the charm-like key. She opened her diary to the nearest fresh page. "Here, write down your full name."

He did, and she looked down at the page. "This is going to be trickier than I thought," she said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because your middle name is 'Marvolo.' How the hell can I spell anything with that? Honestly? I mean, what's a 'Marvolo' anyway? Some sort broom polish?"

"Please just listen to me!"

"I can't talk to you about this."

"Yes you can!"

"Fine, then. Yes, I have the ability to talk to you, but I will not."

"You can't treat me like this forever."

"You'd be greatly surprised."

"Please, I need you!"

"No you don't. You made that perfectly clear."

"Bella, please listen to me!"

But she kept walking.

"I'm sorry!" he called after.

"And I'm not interested."

He finally caught up to her. "Please, Bella, please. You've been ignoring me all year. Our family has all but disowned me. Andi's not allowed to write anymore. I need to know I still have you."

"Sirius, I love you. That hasn't changed, and I want you to know that I will always be here for you. But I can't talk about this. I'm not saying I agree with them, but you brought this upon yourself. If you truly deeply did not want to be in Gryffindor, the Hat wouldn't have put you there. So this may not be your fault, but it is your decision."

Sirius didn't know what to say.

"But, yes," she continued, "you will always, unconditionally have me. I need you, too."

And her cousin gave her a tight hug that was a little too long and a little too tight for her comfort.

In mid-November, Bella was walking from Charms class with Hayley, casually chatting about school life.

"And I just don't understand why we can't just skip this section. Honestly, when will I ever need to turn a mouse into a teabag? Sure Dad and I live in a loft, but that doesn't mean we have vermin!"

Bella laughed at her outrage.

"Bellatrix!"

Someone was calling her name. She turned around to see the blonde, Malfoy prat running to catch up with her. Bella linked her arm through Hayley's to show she had no interest in talking. Thankfully, Emmy and Ivy (who had stayed behind to talk to Professor Charmchi) caught up with Bella and Hayley before Malfoy could reach her.

But geez, that boy was persistent.

"Bellatrix!" he called again, and, unfortunately, it didn't take him long to catch up with Bella's group.

When he was only a step behind her, Malfoy asked, "Excuse me, Bellatrix, may I have a word?" He seemed to think he had every right to do so.

Bella looked at him through raised eyebrows. "What gives you the right to call me 'Bellatrix'?"

"Well, as it is your name—"

"It's 'Miss Black' to you, Malfoy."

The girls looked at Bella with admiration and shock. Sure, Malfoy was an insufferable prat, but he was also one of the most sought-after boys at Hogwarts. The reasoning for this was beyond Bella.

"As I was saying, may I have a word?"

"I just gave you fifteen, Malfoy, or is that sort of math beyond you?"

"Well, then, might I speak to you in private?"

"No, anything you wish to say to me can be said in front of them." The girls moved a little closer to Bella, more like bodyguards than entourage at the moment.

"Very well," he continued only somewhat phased, "I was hoping me you might accompany me to the Yule Ball this year."

"The Yule Ball?" she sounded quite uninterested. "Isn't that several weeks from now?"

"Yes."

"It's a bit early to be asking for a date. My guess is that my name has already been mentioned in several conversations, and you, so desperate, wanted to get the prize first. Would I be correct in saying that?"

Malfoy was taken aback. "You… you might have been… mentioned… once or twice…"

"Only once or twice? And even with that the incurably confident Malfoy feels the need to quickly seal the deal."

She glared into his icy blue eyes which, Bella realized suddenly, were the exact shade and shape as Narcissa's.

"Well, you can take this back to the boy's dormatory," she began, taking a bold step toward him. "Bellatrix Black, merely a second-year might I add, feels disinclined to accept you invitation."

Malfoy look dumbfounded.

"That means 'no.'"

His face flushed and he stormed away while Bella grinned wickedly to herself.

For their birthdays, which were only a few days apart, Bella and Tom agreed not to exchange gifts. Instead, for the entire week, they would not lie to each other. It wasn't like they were dishonest with each other, they just had their secrets. Now, they each had a week to figure them out.

On Sunday, November 19, the day the agreement began, Tom and Bella, as usual, met in the common room. Before so much as exchanging morning greetings, Bella asked:

"What really happened to your parents?"

Tom looked in her eyes and replied, "I honestly don't know."

Then he asked, "Tell me something you don't want your parents to know."

"Do you want to be more specific? Pick a category or reason."

"Alright, tell me something you don't want your parents to know because you think it will tear your family apart."

Bella locked eyes with him. "I think my mother had an affair with Abraxas Malfoy."

Everyone in the school – with the obvious exception of Myrtle Guttusu – was having a grand time with the Christmas holidays. The castle was so festive and full of life! Twelve immense pine trees stood in the Great Hall and were splendidly decorated. Tinsel and garland hung everywhere. And someone – most suspected Peeves – had stealthily hung mistletoe in several corridor doorframes. The only trick was the mistletoe was often difficult to see, but Peeves seemed to be watching every doorframe at once. It was quite comical really, the most amusing encounter so far being between Rastiban Lestrange and Myrtle Guttusu (Moaning Myrtle she was often called).

Although there were amusing outbursts such as these, hidden mistletoe also meant you had silly, giggly couples "secretly" trying to find it. And then they'd be under the confounded berries, both acting so bashful and surprised, and then they'd kiss and blush and blah, blah, blah. It made Bella sick.

Bella was walking with her usual Tuesday group to Transfiguration (Emmy, Xavier, Tom, and Clay). Once her favorite class, Bella now dreaded it. Dumbledore wasn't nearly as hands-on as McGonagall, and he separated her from Tom. That was the worst part. Now they both just sat there, bored for a timeless period, longing for the bell to ring. At least with each other they could do something productive.

Bella felt something brush her shoulder. She looked up and saw a tall boy. He hadn't intended to bump her; he was just hurrying to class. Bella recognized him as Rodolphus Lestrange, Rastiban's younger brother by a year. Rodolphus was a… fourth year? No, Bella corrected, a fifth year. He was a year older than Malfoy.

Suddenly, there was a loud Christmas carol and the temperature of the corridor dropped at least ten degrees. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw that last face she wanted to see in a corridor: Peeves.

"Go on, Princess," he cackled, "pucker up?"

Bella looked around. Shit. She must have gone under the… weed.

Then she noticed Rodolphus lightly blushing. "Look," he told Peeves, "I really have to get to class. Slughorn already—"

Wow, thought Bella, his voice is amazing. What a cute accent…

"You's goes faster ifs you's gives Blackie a kissie!"

Rodolphus looked down at her. Bella had never noticed how tall he was. "I really don't think I should—"

"What's wrong?" interjected Bella. "Am I not good enough for you? Because I can assure you, I know Malfoy wouldn't turn this down."

There was a roar of laughter, and Bella sincerely hoped he was in the crowd.

"Theese ees to be taking to loooong!" sang Peeves.

Rodolphus sighed and bent down so he was eye-level with Bella. Then he gently touched her chin and guided her into a quick, sweet kiss.

Her first kiss ever, in fact.

Bella didn't know why, but from then on whenever she passed Rololphus in the corridor, Tom took her by the arm and went in another direction.

Boys were strange sometimes, Bella decided.

By the end of second-year, Tom had come to realize something. He was trying all these emotions out on Bella – competition, possession – so he wouldn't have to face the one he felt. There was a reason he hated Rodolphus and Malfoy. In fact, he couldn't stand the vast majority of the boys in his year. He hated them because they wanted what only he could have: Bellatrix.

He didn't even know why he liked her. She was mean, self-centered, spiteful, but that was only the mask she let the world see. She was loyal, caring (in her own way), and beautiful. Most people, Tom noticed, thought they saw Bellatrix as beautiful, but they didn't. They saw her as fiery, mysterious, and sexy. He saw her true passion and beauty.

He didn't want to love her. No, he didn't love her. People his age definitelydid not possess the capacity for such an emotion. But he didn't want any sort of feelings for her at all. He didn't want to remember every little thing she did. Her tiny quirks and expression and sayings. Unfortunately, though, he did. And that was why, in his thirteen-year-old Tom-Riddleish way, he loved Bella.

Damn her.

**I didn't get my five reviews, but I counted my e-mails with Girly-Black. Mostly I just wanted to update. **

**Well, I am still desprately seeking a Beta. **

**Please review. It will make me Squee for joy!**

**E. Devonne**


	7. Chapter 7

Why, hello again! It's been ages since I uploaded, and I'm not even going to insult your intelligence with excues. I love you all and have decided to revive this fic. :) Hooray!

Also... I don't own Harry Potter. But I do own a lovely wand, a box of every flavour beans, and a chocolate frog, courtesy of Harry Potter World. :)

Chapter Seven

She was shaking uncontrollably; she could feel the cold sweat all over her body. _Just let it be over. Just let it be over,_ she kept telling herself. Finally she heard her name, Black, Andromeda, and her tension increased tenfold. She began to walk towards the rickety stool, but with each step it seemed further and further away. After what felt like hours, she sat and faced the crowd; she knew there were hundreds of people but only saw two: Sirius on her left and Bella on her right. They were both staring at her, waving and welcoming, yet at the same time an unspoken "Choose" hung on their lips.

Suddenly, there was a slight weight on her head, and she could feel the ancient hat sliding down her face. Sliding, sliding, sliding, until she was completely enveloped by the blackness.

She was in an endless black room; the only light came from small candles on either side of her. There was a deep voice telling her she belonged in Ravenclaw. She wanted to jump in outrage, but nonexistent robes were binding her to the stool, which had now become a throne adorned in the Hogwarts colors. The voice spoke again, and she finally regained speech.

"No! I can't be in Ravanclaw! I can't!"

_Where would you rather be?_ Andi eerily realized she couldn't tell where the voice was coming from.

"Slytherin, I need to be in Slytherin!"

_And why is that? You would not fare well in Slytherin. You have the mind of a Ravenclaw, yet I could potentially see you with you cousin in Gryffindor…_

"NO! You can't do this to me! Please! Please, just put me with my sister."

_You would leave you cousin alone? But I thought the two of you were close, very close?_

"We are, I love him, but you have to listen to me! I can't go through that!"

_Go through what?_

"The shame, the resentment; he's been all but disowned. That can't happen to me, it won't!"

_You mean to tell me that being placed in Slytherin will guarantee your future with your family? You think they'll always love and cherish you?_

"Absolutely."

_Care to bet?_ The voice was slowly becoming more and more demonic.

"Excuse me?"

Then, out of nowhere, an enormous, fiery snake emerged from the blackness and engulfed her completely. Her screams were drowned out by the roar of the flames, and every fiber of her being was burning in agony.

As suddenly as it had come, the pain stopped as she was thrust into the light of the hall. The roaring flames became applauding students, and she saw Sirius sadly turn and sit. Then, she turned to her right, where she could still see Bella, standing and clapping, but with an odd, uncharacteristic, provocative expression. It chilled Andi to the bone.

The roaring was back. Frantically, she began to look for the snake, but noticed quickly that no one else could hear the deafening sound. Instinctively, she looked to Bella; for some reason, Andi strongly feared for her sister. Then, she saw it: the snake. But it was different this time; rather than engulfing flames, it was an unnerving, seductive smoke, that oddly matched Bella's expression perfectly. She called out to her sister, warning her about the smoke, but only Andi could see it.

Shaking with fury and frightened all the same, Andi screamed as loud as possible, telling the snake to "Leave Bella alone!" but it merely grinned at her, and continued to coil around its victim. And Bella, to Andi's utter horror, began to laugh. At first, it was her typical laugh, soft and clear as bells, but then it became harsher, louder. And as her laughter increased the snake began a bizarre transformation from smoke to flame. Finally, Bella looked around and saw the snake all around her, consuming her until her maniac laughter became screams and shrieks of torture, and Andi ran and ran to save her. As she ran Bella became farther and farther away, and the snake, out of pure spite of Andi, met her eyes and sank it's fangs into Bella's pale neck. Although she was covered in fire, the snake refused to allow her to char and perish.

Andi was shrieking and running but could do nothing at all but watch her beloved sister be tortured and destroyed in the most inhuman way imaginable.

She awoke screaming, panting, and drenched in cold sweat, just as she was in her dream. Her shivers were not at all subdued by her sheets and quilts, and her only thought was, "No, Bella!" Where was she? How real was that? My God, let her be okay…

"Shh," she heard distantly. "It's gonna be alright, love. I'm here now; everything's fine."

Andi jerked up and threw her arms around her sister; her sobs were heavy and uncontrollable. She could feel Bella's fingers through her hair, hear her soft voice, smell the mix of French perfume and the scent that was uniquely Bella.

Still shaking, Andi looked at the clock. It's wasn't yet 6:00.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I promise," soothed Bella. "Who knows? Maybe after your first night at Hogwarts, all the nightmares will go away. You'll be too excited to have bad dreams."

"What'll I dream about instead?"

Bella considered this for a moment. "Transfiguration," she answered. "And how after this year, you'll be able to anyone you don't like into a stinky toad!"

Andi laughed. "Are you sure first years learn those kinds of spells?"

"Ok, maybe it was a bit of an exaggeration, but as long as we're up, let's sneak some pastries from last night's party for breakfast."

Andi giggled again. "Ok."

She didn't know if the nightmares would really stop after she was at school. Night after night, it had been the same dream. The terror of disappointing her family was too much for her to handle, especially after she'd seen the recent treatment of Sirius. She took a deep breath and quietly followed her sister to the kitchen. Just a few more hours, she thought, and I'll have been sorted. No more worry, no more nightmares.

* * *

"So... I'm supposed to run into that wall?"

"Yes," answered Bella cheerfully. "Now hurry up! It's quarter till eleven!"

"I'm not so sure about –"

Bella grabbed Andi's hand and ran full sprint toward the barrier. The younger girl didn't even have time to cover her face before she and her sister were safely on the other side. Not a moment later, a few house elves came forward pushing their carts to the baggage handlers.

Andi looked around with the widest possible smile on her face. "I'm really going!"

Bella laughed and surveyed the area as well, but without the gleeful expression of her sister. "Andi, why don't you meet up with some first years, while I go looking for my friend?"

Not normally shy but a little overwhelmed with the sights of so many fellow wizard children, Andi stood frozen for a moment before she began making her way over to the train. "I'll see you later then?" she asked a little nervously.

"Absolutely," Bella answered. "Find a compartment and sit down. Give it ten minutes and you'll know just as many people. That seems to be how it works around here," and she walked in the opposite direction.

Tom was facing away and didn't see her coming, and Bella took full advantage of that. Knowing he loathed these sorts of games, Bella slipped her hands over his eyes and asked, "Guess who?"

"I can only imagine," he responded rather irritably, as he removed her hands from his face and turned to face her. "Have a nice holiday?"

"Could have been better," she answered with a tilt of her head that told Tom he was about to face the full passive aggressiveness of a confrontational Bellatrix.

"Do tell," he prodded.

"What did you do all summer?"

"Would you prefer chronologically or alphabetic-"

"I'll tell you what you didn't do," she interrupted. "You didn't write to me, not once. You had, what, three months, and you couldn't send a simple owl?"

"Sorry, I was... having my owl... repaired," even he looked stunned with the utter stupidity of the answer.

"You were having your owl repaired? Do tell me where the nearest bloody owl repair shop is."

"In... Leeds. It's a long drive. How's your summer been?"

"Drive?"

"Let's get on the train."

"Let's get you some medication."

* * *

The train ride was as eventful as usual. Tom and Bella attempted to sit alone, but as many Slytherins as would fit in the compartment quickly joined them. They all laughed and joked and shared summer stories. They nibbled on candies from the trolley, and had their own "Sorting" of sorts by placing the new first years into what they deemed were their appropriate Houses. There was an unusually high concentration of Hufflepuffs.

The conductor announced they would arrive in less than ten minutes, and the students quickly changed into their school robes. They rode the "invisible horse-drawn carriages," as the devices had come to be known, and Bella waved to her sister as she anxiously sat in the boat on the glassy lake.

Arriving at the castle, the Houses arranged themselves at their respective tables, awaiting the Sorting.

Reviews are love!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"So, your sister's a first year?" asked Tom.

"That she is," Bella answered, clearly excited.

"And do you think she'll be joining us?"

"In Slytherin? Absolutely."

"Then again," Tom continued with a sideways glance, "you have been wrong before."

"If there was anything in this cup, I would pour it on your hot air-filled head!"

"That's probably why I insulted you before the pumpkin juice appeared."

She slapped him. "Impertinent chav."

"Least I don't have illusory superiority," he answered without missing a beat.

"Oh don't even get me started-"

The massive doors opened, and the first years entered the Great Hall in two single files. Like every year, Professor McGonagall stood by the three-legged-stool holding the shabby Sorting Hat.

"It's not going to sing again, is it?" whispered Tom.

The Hat took a breath. "Yes," sighed Bella. As soon as that auditory torture was over, McGonagall unrolled the scroll and began calling the quivering first years.

"Arisen, Scott."

"Gryffindor!"

"Attwater, Alea."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Bailey, Philip."

"Hufflepuff!"

Bella was thrilled that there wasn't the usual mountain of A's and B's.

"Black, Andromeda."

Before the Hat slipped over her little sister's head, Bella caught her eye and gave her an encouraging wave. Andi weakly returned the smile.

"_Well, well, another Black. Isn't this most interesting. My goodness, you're the most nervous first year I've Sorted in years. Care to tell what's wrong?"_

"_I'm terrified! If I don't get Sorted into Slytherin, then my family will completely abandon me! I'll be just like Sirius!"_

"_This has been on your mind for quire sometime, hasn't it? All summer long, you've had horrible dreams about this moment. Isn't that right?"_

"_Yes," Andi gulped. _

"_I say you have the mind of a Ravenclaw," Andi visibly tensed, "but your fear is strong enough that I'm going to do what I've sworn never to do."_

"_What's that?"_

"_I'm going to give you a choice. You can either go to Ravenclaw, where you belong and can learn from other eager learners like yourself, or you can appease your family for one more day and go to Slytherin. This is your decision."_

"Slytherin!"

The entire table burst into applause as another Black joined her rightful House.

Package in hand, Bella knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in," came the familiar voice of her favorite professor.

"Why, good morning, Miss Black," she smiled.

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," Bella happily answered. "I hope you don't mind me taking up your Saturday morning."

"Not at all. I can't think of a more dull way to spend such a weekend than grading first year Transfiguration essays. A few of them show great promise, your sister included, but the vast majority are…"

"Disappointing?" Bella offered.

"They're an insult to my intelligence and career as an educator. Now, how may I help you, dear?"

"Actually, I have a present for you," smiled Bella, offering the wrapped package.

"I haven't been your professor for some time. There is no need for bribery, Miss Black," she answered jokingly.

"Please open it!"

"Alright…" replied an unsure McGonagall, as she gingerly removed the paper and opened the box.

"Well, do you like them?"

"I think that I'm a Gryffindor and would probably be cursed for wearing such a color."

"Ok, all House associations aside, you would look fantastic in emerald!"

"I'm a little old to be worried about 'looking fantastic,' Miss Black."

"Oh, come one! Please just try them on! I gave them a charm so they'll custom fit the first person to wear them! They'll be perfect for you!"

"Really? That's very impressive, especially for a third year."

"I know, right? Now either try them on, or I'll…" she tried to think of an appropriate threat. "I'll throw all my first through third year spells at you! You are going to be _Lumos_ed into oblivion!"

McGonagall laughed and with a quick wave of her wand, she was in the new emerald outfit with her own blue one folded neatly in the box.

"Now that spell you _have_ to teach me!"

She looked at herself in a nearby mirror.

"They match your eyes," supplied Bella.

"Miss Black, you are impossible," she laughed. "Thank you," and she gave her a motherly hug. "I really do love them."

"Excellent! Now sit down and let me play with your hair!"

The next day, Emmy and Amber sprinted up to Bellatrix in the corridor.

"Holy Honeydukes, Bella!"

"Is alliteration entirely necessary?"

Emmy considered this, but Amber shrugged it off. "Bella, have you _seen_ Professor McGonagall?"

"Why? Is she missing limbs?"

"No, but I think we have a convert. She's wearing Slytherin colors!"

Emmy butted in, "Um, that's not even the biggest deal! She totally changed her hair! Turns out, it's not permanently stuck in that super-scary bun. She's way too much of a cool teacher to have granny hair."

"Yeah," continued Amber, "But I didn't think Professors were allowed to wear their hair down! Doesn't, like, the whole world explode if that happens?"

"Judging by the fact that you're still alive, I'm guessing no," Bella replied.

"You don't seem as shocked as we were," said Amber, mildly confused.

"How my teacher dresses isn't exactly a life changing event for me," Bella answered, glancing at her watch. "We're going to be late for Potions!" she exclaimed, grabbing the girls' hands and running down a staircase.

Emmy laughed, "Maybe someone should give Slughorn a make-over, too!"

The air chilled around them, as they all pulled their jackets tightly around them. The crisp, cool air couldn't have been more perfect for Bella and Tom's first Hogsmeade trip. People around them chattered excitedly about Honeydukes, Zonko's and butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. Flashing their permission forms, the students gleefully began the ride in the familiar carriages.

Hogsmeade was everything the older years had said it would be. Bella and her group of friends filled bag upon bag of chocolate frogs, every flavor beans, taffies, pasties, fudge and cakes.

Bella took a bite of a fresh cauldron cake. "Mmmm," she sighed, "This is delicious!" She turned to Tom. "You have to try this!"

"Now that you've touched it, I'll probably get some freakish Black family disease. I'd rather not."

She picked up a jelly bean and threw it at his head.

"Violence isn't the answer," he responded.

"But it is _an_ answer. Now here," she walked over to him. "Open up."

He gave her one of his half smiles and did as he was told as Bella popped the remaining bite into his mouth.

"We need more of those," he agreed. Bella laughed and went up to the counter.

"Is there anyway I could arrange for a fresh batch of those to be delivered to me every week?"

The plump shop owner laughed. "Like 'em, eh? I'm sure we could figure something out, for a cute little girl like you."

Tom almost chocked on his Bertie Bott's bean when he heard this, knowing that after a comment like that, it would be a miracle if that man lived to see tomorrow. After a few minutes of negotiation, Bella returned.

"I finally got a normal flavored bean out of this box," Tom began, "and what does it do? It almost kills me."

"Sure would save me a world of trouble," Bellatrix answered with a wink. "Come on, I'm craving some butterbeer."

She was about to call for her friends, but Tom placed his hand on her arm. "Or… we could do something a little more exciting."

Bella looked at him with her devious smile that made his heart beat way, way, way too fast. "Why, what do you have in mind?"

"You know that shack on the hill about a mile from hill?" he whispered.

"Yeah the one they built last year?"

"The very same. Haven't you wondered why it's so new, but it already looks run-down? Everyone says it's haunted."

"Aren't we a little old for ghost stories?"

"Hey, there are ghosts all over the school. Why not in the shack? Apparently, every full moon, there's all kinds of awful screaming and shouting."

"Ooh, creepy," she deviously smiled again. "Alright, let's go check it out."

He took her hand and led her quietly through the front door, and they nearly ran to the shack on the hill.

"It doesn't really look like anything spectacular," Bella observed.

"That's because it's broad daylight in the middle of the lunar cycle."

"I thought you wanted to do something exciting."

"I figured we could try and find out how to get in."

"You're crazy! Why would we do that? We could get in serious trouble! If that place really is haunted, we could be killed!" She smiled again. "Allons-y!"

They looked to make sure no one was following them… then they quietly snuck into the shack.

"This place is a wreck! Look at this, claw marks everywhere, broken furniture…" her voice trailed off. "Scraps of clothes, too."

Tom bent down and looked at the strips of fabric. He found a ripped sweater, which he held closely to his face in the dim light. "Isn't your cousin friends with an 'R. Lupin'?"

Bellatrix thought for a moment, "Yeah… Remus, I think. It's another first year Gryffindor. Why?"

"Because he is in a world of trouble," Tom answered. "His name's on this torn jacket, the one that looks like it's been ripped apart."

Chills rippled through her spine. "Come on, let's get out of here. Everyone's probably wondering where we are, and I still want my butterbeer."

"Aww, you're cute when you're scared."

She gave him the most terrifying look he had ever seen.

"Do not _ever_ insult me like that. I am not afraid. I am _never_ afraid. Are we very clear on that?"

"Crystal," he smirked.

When they arrived back at the Three Broomsticks, only a few people asked where they had gone. Apparently, in all the crowds and excitement of a Hogsmeade trip, it was very easy to disappear unnoticed. Taking a sip of his drink, Tom decided to store that bit of information away.

"Sirius… I think we need to talk."

"Aren't you afraid the family will draw and quarter you if you talk to me?"

"A little bit, yes, which is probably why I'm meeting you in the Herbology section of the library during dinner."

"Bella, I'm not going to risk getting in trouble for you. You were one of my best friends before, and I would have done anything for you… but I guess all that's changed."

"Please don't say that. We're family and I love you, and I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you, but that's not why I'm here right now. I think you could be in real danger."

"We live right next to a forest filled with creepy, black skelo-horses that only about three kids at the school can see. Does that give you a little perspective?"

"Shut up, you little blood traitor, and listen to me!" she growled. "You know that hobo little friend of yours, Lupin? So, I snuck off with Tom the other day—"

"You _what_? Ok, so let me get this straight: you insult me and my friend, and now you're saying you went off snogging the demon child?"

She turned bright red. "We were _not_ off snogging. And, anyway, we went to the creepy little shack—"

"YOU WHAT?"

"Yeah, crazy right? And the place was completely destroyed, but your friend's shredded jacket was on the floor."

"Bella, listen to me. I'm begging you, with everything I am, please, please do not tell anyone about this."

"Why?"

He looked at her solemnly. "I think you already know."

Bella couldn't believe the look of sincerity on his face. He looked so… desperate. "You have my word."

"Thank you," he said smiling, and for the first time in what felt like years, he hugged his cousin.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own Harry Potter, everything on the Black family tree was found on the Lexicon, and everything else I made up. Cheers!

Chapter 9

"Ready, Miss Black?"

"Ready," Bellatrix took a deep breath and raised her wand. "_Avis!_" she shouted, and a stream of birds flew from the tip of her wand. They continued in a straight line toward McGonagall, who casually flicked her wand, causing the birds to jet back toward Bella.

"_Impedimenta!"_ she shouted, and the speeding birds slowed in midair.

"Very well done, now let's send them on their way."

"_Finite incantatum_," the birds returned to their original speed, and flew out the open window.

"You're really making remarkable progress, Miss Black. I can honestly say that I've seen seventh years who haven't developed your level of skill. I'm very impressed," she added with a smile.

"Thank you," answered Bella, looking down. "Professor… may I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"But, you can't tell anyone else. I promised someone who means the world to me that I'd never talk about it."

With a swish of her wand, McGonagall closed and locked her office door. "Whatever you say will be held in the strictest confidence, Miss Black."

Bella took a deep breath. "You know the shack that was built two years ago? The one everyone says is haunted?"

McGonagall looked skeptical. "I'm familiar with it, yes."

"Well, last year on the Hogsmeade trip… I sort of went to check it out."

"And what on earth would possess you to do such a thing?"

"One of my friends told me it's haunted, and we just wanted to see."

McGonagall paused, trying to make her next point delicately. "Dear, if I didn't know you better, I would be very concerned about your and Mr. Riddle's friendship. No offence meant, but your two personalities could lead to," she struggled for an appropriate term, "potential damage, if you don't keep yourselves in check."

"How do you mean?" asked Bella, briefly forgetting the original discussion.

"You're both at the top of your year and are very clever; you both have enormous influence over your fellow students, and you both have great ambition. Just… remember who you are."

"I will," she answered, "but, anyway, while we were – Hold on, I never said I was in there with Tom."

Her teacher laughed. "Did you need to? Now, what are you so worried about?"

"Well, while we were in the shack… we found a jacket with Remus Lupin's name in it. I don't know what he's doing, but I'm really worried about Sirius."

McGonagall looked shocked. "Miss Black, listen carefully to me. Do not repeat any of what you've seen to any other students. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. It would be best for everyone if you just let this issue alone." She glanced at the clock. "It's almost curfew; you should return do your commons."

Bella nodded and left the office. In the corridor, Tom was leaning next to a suit of armor.

"You're finally out," he observed with a half smile. "God, I thought she'd never let you leave."

"Good evening to you, too," she replied snidely.

"Did you talk to McGonagall about the shack?"

"Yes, she told me not to mention it again."

Tom smiled evilly. "Excellent. That's precisely what I wanted to hear."

Bella returned the smile. "My thoughts exactly," she replied. "It's always nice to have a little bit of dirt on people."

"Let's get back to the common room. I have something you'd love to see."

She smiled widely, and they began walking toward the dungeons.

A few minutes later, there was a light knock on Professor McGonagall's door. "Come in," she answered, stirring her nightly cup of tea.

"Good evening, Minerva," greeted the familiar voice.

"It's a little late for 'evening,' Albus, but thank you, just the same." She smiled and continued, "Is there anything I may do to help you?"

"I'm not at all certain about being able to help," he answered as he took his usual seat in front of her desk, "but there is a matter of great importance which I would like to discuss."

"Certainly," she sipped at her tea.

"You are more familiar with Bellatrix Black than most," he began. "And as such, I assume you know about her friendship with Tom Riddle?"

McGonagall laughed, "I think 'friendship' is really too light a word. The two of them are inseparable."

"Yes," he agreed with a soft laugh, "and that worries me greatly." His tone became much more serious, though still gentle. "I couldn't help but hear a bit of their conversation in the corridor a moment ago. Now, I know I have no concrete reason to be suspicious, and I am not accusing either of them of wrongdoing at present, but my instincts tell me that this relationship will do nothing but harm themselves and everyone around them."

"I agree, and I have confidence in you. You've never been wrong about these sorts of issues before," she paused. "What do you propose we do?"

"Nothing at all. That would only make things worse. I just wanted to consult my cleverest friend," he smiled.

"And they're only children. It might not be too late for either of them. They could, perhaps, see the error of their ways, couldn't they?"

"If I could convince Slughorn to dress up like Father Christmas on his first year teaching here, then I believe anything is possible," he smiled again.

Bella lounged on one of the black leather sofas in the Slytherin common room, while she waited for Tom to return from his dorm. A moment later, she heard familiar footsteps on the stairway.

"As I was saying, I found something that might interest you during my family history research."

"Tommy, love, listen to me."

"Do _not_ call me 'Tommy,'" he snarled.

"You are _not_ the Heir of Slytherin, ok? You do not have some great, mysterious family past that gives you unusual magical potency. What you _do_ have are delusions of grandeur, and those should be treated by a Healer."

He glared at her. "I honestly don't know why I haven't killed you yet. "

"Probably because you couldn't live without me," she smiled. "Now come on, let's see it then."

Tom cracked open the enormous, ancient book to the page marked with a scrap of parchment.

"Didn't I tell you to buy new bookmarks?"

"_Silencio_," he said dully as he gave his wand a lazy flick. Bella turned red with rage. "Now that's something I should have thought of a long time ago. Here, look at this page."

She didn't budge.

"I'll let you talk if you promise to behave," he taunted with a smirk. The glare she was giving him would have caused a Dementor to flee in terror. He laughed and ended the spell.

As soon as he did, she jumped from her seat, and in one fluid motion shouted, "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

Tom fell to the floor, immobile. "Bellatrix Black, I swear –"

"_Rictusempra_," she added with a smile. Sure it was only a tickling charm, but as he couldn't move, she knew she was really hurting him.

"Bella!" he gasped, "Stop!"

"I didn't hear a 'please,'" she taunted.

She wasn't entirely sure how Tom managed to glare at her, but he finally gave in. "Please!" She lifted the charms.

He sat on the floor gasping for a moment. "I'll get you one day."

"Sure you will. Now, what were you going to show me?"

He stood and joined her on the sofa, "While I was looking for my own family history, I came across some of yours."

"Not surprisingly. 'The noble and most ancient house of Black,' it's the oldest pure-blood family in existence."

"And the least humble," he added with a smirk, which gained him another swat from Bella. "Now, look, here are you parents."

"Hello, dearest mommy and daddy," she snarled.

Tom laughed slightly, "Trace up through your mother's side… and eventually you come to your great, great grandmother, Ursula Flint."

"Alright…"

"And," he flipped to the next parchment bookmark, "she was a Metamorphmagus."

"No way! So she could look like anything she wanted! I'm so jealous."

"Really, you shouldn't be," he smiled his knowing smile. "Haven't you wondered why you eyes change color depending on how to feel?"

She thought about that for a minute. "So… I'm a Metamorphmagus, too?"

"Maybe not completely, but you definitely show some of the characteristics. It's only passed down through female lines, though, so that implies…"

"That mommy and daddy had the same great, great grandmother? Wow, thanks, Tom, I'm so glad I know that."

"Any time."

"So you just happened to find all this out? You just _coincidently_ came across all this information about my family?"

"Yes."

Bella laughed. "Right, of course. Because there's no way that you were just so bothered by the fact that I could change my eyes that you had to hack apart my family tree to find the answer."

"That," he replied, "would be ridiculous."

"So when did you find all this information: While you were waiting at the owl repair shop in Leeds last summer? Because another summer passed, and you never wrote me."

"It's getting late; I think I'm going to go to bed."

"No, wait!" she insisted, grabbing his hand. "Don't go just yet," she reached into her school bag and pulled out her diary. "I have something to show you, too."

She unlocked the small, black book and opened to a middle page.

"Do you remember how I told you that you need a new name, if you're going to keep up with this Heir of Slytherin hoax?"

"If you think this is all made up, then why are you still helping me?"

"Maybe I believe everything you say, I just like to upset you," she half-smiled. "Anyway, you need something new. If you're going to be powerful, really powerful, then you're not going to be Tom Riddle anymore. You're going to be something completely new, completely changed."

Tom smiled at that thought.

"It took nearly two years, because I needed it to be perfect, but here's what I've come up with," and she passed him the open diary. In the middle of the page, in her neat, cursive handwriting was written:

_Tom Marvolo Riddle_

_I am Lord Voldemort_

He read the name silently. "What does it mean?" he whispered excitedly.

"'Vol de mort' means 'Flight of death' in French," she answered.

On his face was a look Bella had never seen before. It was excided. It was thrilled. It was evil. It was… hungry, as if it was going to devour and destroy. It chilled Bella to her very core, and she loved it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

It had been over a year since Bella discovered Lupin's secret, and every full moon since she struggled to sleep, fearing for her cousin's safety. What if Lupin broke out of the shack and killed Sirius? What if Lupin bit him, turning his friend into a horrible, bloodthirsty monster? God, she couldn't stand the thought. Tom, on the other hand, didn't seem to give the matter too much consideration. Since Bella had unveiled his pseudonym, Tom began to take his Heir of Slytherin rampage to a new level. He acquired a growing number of "followers," who, unlike Bella, fully believed Tom and the story of his lineage.

"The simpler minds of the world can't handle these sorts of lies, Tom," Bella scolded one evening as they walked to the Great Hall. "This is really getting out of hand."

"Hey, who claimed second chair to world domination?"

"I keep my bases covered," she shrugged.

"Oh, so you don't think we're capable of something like that?"

"I'm sorry, remind me when I said that. It's not that I don't think… I have confidence in us, in what we can do. But I don't believe you're unrealistic descendant of Slytherin fairytale."

"'_Unrealistic fairytale_'?" he demanded. "I've shown you the research! I've shown you the evidence! Everything points to me, what more do you want?"

"Fine, fine! I can't argue with you anymore!"

"Admitting defeat, are we?" he asked slyly.

"I admit nothing more than exasperation," she replied, sitting down.

Bella was used to students in her year and younger readjusting their seats according to Tom's and her own, but she noticed something odd. Since Tom developed his own fan club, many older students began making their ways toward their new leader.

"Try telling your little theories to them," he whispered.

Adding salad to her plate, Bella shook her head. "This is all going to your head too fast," she cautioned.

"Who are you to lecture me on pompousness?" he practically growled.

"Unlike you, I've grown up with this. I've been exposed to this treatment my whole life. You can't just dive into a lifestyle of power," she snarled back, growing angrier with every syllable.

He waved her off and began a conversation with a seventh year called Yaxley, and Bella put on her most pleasant smile and began discussing Charms and handbags with her fellow fourth years.

Despite her hatred of all things Muggle, Bella begrudgingly admitted that some tasks were best preformed without magic. It was a cool Saturday morning, and she sat on her sister's bed braiding her long locks. After a quick numbing charm around her hairline, Bella began to brush and separate Andi's hair.

"I really do love your hair," Bella complemented. "It's not as dark as mine, but it has nicer curls."

Andi smiled and shrugged. They sat quietly for a few more minutes.

"Well, this is certainly not the Andi I know," she commented. "All this silence is certainly strange. Care to tell me what's on your mind?"

When her sister didn't reply for a second time, Bella felt equally concerned and frustrated. Placing her brush on the bedside table, Bella moved in sit directly in front of her sister. "Andi, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Andromeda Black took a deep breath and straightened her posture, "Bella… I need to discuss a few things with you."

"Discuss away." Bella resumed brushing.

"Ok, first… I want you to talk to Sirius more," Andi rushed. She had never confronted her older sister like this, and it was a terrifying relief.

"'_Talk to Sirius more_'?" she mocked. "And _why_, pray heaven, would I ever consider such an occurrence?"

"He's one of our best friends! He's family!"

"Correction, he _was_ one of my best friends – apparently I can't speak for you on the matter – and he's no more our family than Dobby!"

"You shouldn't be so harsh on the little guy. He's only been with them for a few weeks. He's new and scarred."

"Don't you dare lecture me on fairness or House Elves, and don't try to change the subject. So, has Sirius told you this himself? Did this come up during your last little chit chat?"

Andi took another deep breath, "There is no need to become so angry."

"_Excuse me?_"

She jumped away from her sister. "Bellatrix Black, shut up!" she shouted loudly. Staring into each other's eyes, both girls synchronically wondered exactly when they had grabbed their wands and pointed them at each other.

"Andi, be a good little girl and put that down."

Tears were shining in her eyes, "Bella, listen to me. Don't make me chose. I can't lose you, either of you."

Horrified, Bella dropped her wand and rushed to her sister. "Andi, sweetie, look at me. I would never make you chose between us. How could I do that to you?" She pulled Andi into a tight hug. "If that's what you really want, I'll go talk to him, ok? Don't cry; it's all right. I promise."

Fourteen was such an awkward age. It was too old for their continual private library sessions to be entirely innocent but too young for anything more than research and the occasional blush-worthy comment.

"Well, there's officially nothing in _Hogwarts, a History_," grumbled an exasperated Bella, throwing it into the pile of, for their purposes, worthless books.

"Is there ever?" asked Tom.

She skimmed through _Architectural Secrets of Magical Facilities, Volume 6_. "None of these authors have ever even heard of a Secretive Chamber!" she burst.

"Chamber of Secrets," he corrected dully. "Perhaps that's why you haven't been able to find it."

"Remind me again why I'm helping you with this wild hippogriff chase?"

"Because you value our friendship, I suppose," he offered sarcastically.

She swatted his arm with her book. "Oh, yes, that's it. Here, you dig through volumes seven through twelve. I'm going to refresh our stack. Where should I check next?"

"Let's get some from the magical creatures section. We're having no luck on the 'where,' so let's start on the 'what.'"

"Yes, Mr. Heir of Slytherin," she scoffed.

"You can call me 'my Lord,'" he corrected with a grin.

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yeah, sure, I'd love to see that day." She walked toward the magical creature section of the library, returning a few books to their proper shelves as she went. Trying anything to end the monotony of the past few hours, she decided to go in reverse alphabetical order, according to subject.

"Alright… yetis, wood-nymphs, Welsh Green dragons… that's odd there aren't any –"

"Werewolves?" Sirius offered. "Funny, I didn't think you'd need that one, seeing as you and Tommy dearest are resident experts on the subject." His tone was uncharacteristically bitter, and his face was twisted in a hateful scowl. "What do you want, Bellatrix?"

"I'm sorry, I thought the library was open to everyone," she retorted, bracing herself for a fight.

"Not if you lot had it your way. All us family disgraces and blood traitors would be kicked out, wouldn't we?"

"Sirius, you know that's not what I think!"

"Then act like it! Andi passed on my message to you months ago, and you're just now talking to me! Mind you, this little run-in was completely by accident!"

"I'm sorry! I've tried, I've just been… busy."

"'Busy?'" he spat. "Busy with _what_, exactly? Trying to throw everyone who isn't a pure-blood elitist out of school? Trying to ruin the lives of people who are different? And who's taken the charge on that? You're new beau Tommy?"

"Don't talk about him that way!"

"Stop defending him! You know it's true!"

"Sirius!" She shouted, but something washed over her like cold water. "Do you hate me?" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

He was taken completely aback. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I just need to know."

He looked like a deflating balloon. "No, Trixie, I don't hate you. I don't think I ever could."

"I know everything's been tense at school and home… but I just want what's best for you."

"Maybe you do, Trix, but ignoring me, not defending me in front of my parents, blackmailing my best friend… that's not exactly what I need right now."

She didn't answer immediately. "I can't say anything to the family. There's nothing I can do about that now. Sirius, what you did, who you chose to be around… that's not what we stand for. We're Blacks, we're pure."

Sirius held up his hands in defeat. "Ok, fair enough, but don't be a stranger anymore. I miss you, Trix," he smiled sadly, slipped a book in her hands and walked away. She looked down at the title: _Werewolves, Vampires, Dragons and Other Extremely Dangerous Creatures_.

She walked back to the table she and Tom were sharing. "Took you long enough," he greeted with an eyebrow raise.

"You're welcome. Next time you can get your own books, your majesty."

He picked up the book Sirius provided. "I think it'll be some sort of snake."

Bella considered this for a moment. "Yes… that's possible. The trademark of Slytherin was a snake –"

"And he was a Parselmouth, which would be handy, as only he could control the monster."

Bella laughed, "Which makes you royally screwed. You can't talk to snakes!"

Tom gave her a wicked grin. "Want to see something awesome?"

They walked nonchalantly from the library, completely forgetting the stack of books they had been compiling over the past several hours.

"Alright, it's almost past curfew, but as long as that new caretaker Filch doesn't spot us, and we don't run into anyone unusually large and obnoxious –"

"Well, 'ey dere, Tom, Bellatrix," came a booming, friendly voice.

They kept walking. "Good evening, Rubeus," Tom coolly replied. He was too anxious to stop and listen to the massive second year.

"An' where're you too goin'? It's gonna be pas' curfew 'ere soon."

"Then why are you out so late?" Bella snidely asked.

"Oh, me? I'm, well, I was jus' takin' care of some las' minute school stuff. Care o' magical creatues, ya know? It's jus' abou' my favorite class!"

"Good to know. Evening, Rubeus," Tom bluntly ended the conversation, taking Bella's hand and nearly running out the entry door.

The lawn was full of the sharp, cool air of early March. The grass was damp, and their breath hung in the air like clouds. Bella hoped they would only go as far as the light from the castle reached, but Tom pulled her right to the edge of the Forbidden Forrest. It was covered in moonlight and mist.

"Tom, I'm freezing! What are we doing?"

"Shh…" He knelt down in the grass and began to whisper. Bella leaned in more closely to understand what he was saying, but his words were a strange mixture of hisses.

"Are you mad?" she demanded. He ignored her and continued whispering. Then, there was a rapid shaking of leaves and the sound of slithering. Bella stifled a scream as the longest snake she had ever seen began to coil out of the forest. It was easily three feet long, quick and slender. Its diamond-like pattern reflected in the light. Bella's breathing became rapid and panicked.

Tom smiled, "I found out I could talk to them when I was about eight. They listen to me, and I can understand what they say," he looked up at her face. "That's not normal, is it?" For one of the first times she could remember, Tom looked genuine in his question. He was seeking knowledge, reassurance.

"No," she replied, calming slightly, "No, that's not normal."

He smiled and whispered again; the snake slithered in circles around them. Bella squealed and moved closer to him.

"She won't hurt you," he assured.

"Promise?"

"Absolutely," at this, he saw her visibly relax. Tom, feeling mischievous, hissed again, and the snake moved closer.

"Tom, what's it doing? What are you telling it?" Her anxiety was growing rapidly.

"Shh," he silenced her again. She reached a shaking hand toward him, and it held it tightly. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes," she whispered, her eyes shut tight.

He hissed again, and the snake moved closer. It coiled its long, cold body along the grass, gliding closer and closer to Bella. She could hear it approaching, and she gripped his hand tighter. In the bright light of the moon, he could see silent tears falling down her pale face.

"Tom, Tom, please," she whispered urgently.

"Bella," he whispered back, moving so close his lips almost brushed her ear, "trust me."

The snake glided over her boots and began coiling up her leg. Tom watched Bella's face closely. Her eyes were as tightly closed as her fists, but she didn't make a sound. The snake then moved higher, along her torso, brushing her arms, until it finally coiled loosely around her neck, like a bizarre necklace. Bella's grip loosened significantly, and she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the snake, she didn't scream; she merely looked at Tom, completely shocked.

He reached his free hand over to stroke the serpent and, as he did, caught several of Bella's curls in what could have, very easily, passed for an accident. A moment later, he moved directly in front of her.

"Bella," he began, meeting her eyes, "do you trust me?"

It was clear to both that they were not only discussing the snake anymore. They were talking about everything, the Heir of Slytherin, the supremacy over the entire wizarding world, the values of genealogy, and, perhaps most importantly, where their relationship was leading.

She blinked and gave him a smile that was uniquely Bellatrix. It was sincere, and it was questioning. It was honest, and it was sardonic. It was loving, and it was superior. It was bold and terrified.

She took a breath and stroked the head of the snake still curled around her neck. "Yes, my Lord," she replied with that Bellatrix smile, and she intertwined his fingers with her own.


End file.
